Shahji muses on his beloved wife Mahji From the Pem-nem of Hams Bijapur, Deccan, 1591 Size: 17 x 9 cm Oriental and India Office Collection, British Library, London The Pem-nem is a romance in Dakhni Urdu composed by the poet Hahsan Mahjhu Kalji under his pen name "Hams" in 1591. It contains an elegy on the faded beauty of the city of Bijapur and the greatness of its ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1556-1627). No other copies of this work are known and this painting was likely one of a kind made exclusively for the enjoyment of the sultan and his friends. The story follows the standard Indian romance, in which the hero after many difficulties is eventually united with his beloved. This lovely scene, with its pairs of deer and birds, reminds the hero of his own loneliness. The image of the beloved on the hero’s heart, between the folds of his gown, is symbolic of his devotion to her. The artist of this folio employed a rather rich palette with lavish use of gold. The figures are unusually tall with round faces.

Mughal-Library