Discover the paintings and decorative arts of the Mughal period - the most powerful and lasting of the Islamic dynasties in India.
This brass openwork dragon or makara head was a finial piece from a religious standard (alam) displayed at a Shi’a Muslim shrine. It is composed of Arabic script: “Help is from God and Victory near” (Qur’an, 61:13). Its teeth spell “Allah”, and its crest “Muhammad”.
Zebrowski, Mark, Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal India (London: Alexandria Press in association with Laurence King, 1997), p. 332, fig. 544
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
Objects may have since been removed or replaced from a gallery. Click into an individual object record to confirm whether or not an object is currently on display. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis, so contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular Eastern Art object.
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