Discover the paintings and decorative arts of the Mughal period - the most powerful and lasting of the Islamic dynasties in India.
Floral motifs appear in much of the decorative art of North India and the Deccan in the Mughal period. This box for pan (a chewing-quid of betel leaf and areca nut, popular throughout India) consists of two equal sections, each with a row of elegant Mughal flowers. Bidri wares are named after the city of Bidar in India, where this type of metalwork originated. Cast from an alloy of zinc, copper, tin and lead, which was inlaid with silver or brass, they were then chemically blackened to create rich contrasts between the silver inlay designs and the matt black ground.
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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