Discover the paintings and decorative arts of the Mughal period - the most powerful and lasting of the Islamic dynasties in India.
Chaupar or pachisi, the ancestor of the much simplified English ‘Ludo’, was one of the most popular Indian board games during the Mughal period. The emperor Akbar himself was a devotee and compelled his courtiers to play in tournaments which could last for months. The game was most often played by four players, each racing a set of four coloured pieces around a cruciform board according to the throw of dice. This full set of sixteen pieces is painted with courtly scenes, including princes on horseback and riding elephants, camels or chariots. It was evidently made for a royal court in Rajasthan, possibly Udaipur.
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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