Indian Painting under the Mughals, A.D. 1550 to A.D. 1750 c22.43

c22.43

The artist having finished his picture or *taswīr* by means of the process and materials described above, there still remained much to be done before the miniature was considered quite complete. The *taswīr* was only the central panel of the work; added to this there were the mounting and the border-designing besides several other details, each of which required the services of a separate expert. We have already seen that on occasion as many as two and sometimes even three artists, or *musavvirs*, co-operated on the *taswīr* alone, and for the rest of the work a similar number of craftsmen was required. These were the *vasligar*, or mounter, the *naqshanavīs*, who painted the pattern on the mount; and, if the reverse of the miniature was to display a specimen of calligraphy, as was very often the case, there was the skilled writer, or *khushnavīs*. To ensure that all these processes were properly carried out the usual procedure was as follows. The *taswīr*, having been painted on a thin irregular-shaped piece of paper, was first handed over to the *vasligar* to be trimmed, and mounted on a stouter card. It will be noticed that many miniatures are not in the centre of the mount but slightly to one side, a custom derived from the Persian book-illustrations, which, being bound in a book, were placed in this position. Many Mughal pictures were intended to be bound in a *muraqqa‘*, a kind of album or scrap-book, so that they were also mounted on one side by the *vasligar* with this object in view. The mounted picture was then taken to the *naqshanavis*, who painted on it the *hāshiya*, or border. As the border of a miniature was designed on a system of prearranged lines and spaces, and was an important part of the work of art as a whole, it merits description. Immediately adjoining the central panel, or the Roman world, and the most important events of the reign of Antoninus Pius, are related by his biographer, and the reader will not be sorry to find them here in a more concise form. The reign of Antoninus Pius is marked by the rare advantage of furnishing very few materials for history; which is only another mode of saying that its happiness was complete. During the twenty-three years of his administration, the Roman empire was governed by the same invariable maxims of justice and peace. The natives of a vast extent of country were protected by the same laws, and enjoyed the same privileges. The frontiers were defended by the same legions, and the same spirit of moderation and equity prevailed in the councils of the emperor. The death of Antoninus was lamented as a public calamity; and the memory of his virtues was preserved by the gratitude of his subjects, and the imitation of his successor.