Naomi and the Mughals

First thing in the morning I was out the door and off to the V&A to see the "Naomi in Fashion" which offers a look at the career of supermodel Naomi Campbell. As you can imagine, there were clothes, clothes, and more clothes, but there was a great deal about Naomi's background, the way she opened doors for other models and for designers, and her work in the realm of social justice. I had no idea that she had a close friendship with Nelson Mandela, who called her "another grandchild." Naomi's big break came when she was a 15-year-old wandering through Covent Garden Market and was spotted by a model who helped start her career. By the age of 17, she was on the cover of Vogue magazine.

There were lots of designer clothes on display behind glass (making picture taking very difficult) but the best part was on the upper floor where photos of Naomi played on a 360° screen.

The clothes on display were really more art than fashion.

It was an interesting look at how a model influences fashion, and many of the designers she modeled for said they took more chances and designed more freely because they knew that Naomi could pull off any look presented to her. Was it groundbreaking art? No, but it was interesting and a pleasure to look at.

Leaving all that modern beauty behind I walked to another special exhibition, passing one of my favorite pieces in the sculpture gallery along the way.

Cleopatra Dying by Henry-Joseph Franҫois:

"The Great Mughals" highlights the golden age of Mughal art that lasted from about 1580 to 1650 and spanned the reigns of three emperors: Akbar, his son Jahangir, and grandson Shah Jahan. Akbar's grandfather, Babur, had invaded the Delhi sultanate in 1526. He was descended from Amir Timur and Ghengis Khan, the founder of the Mongol empire. The dynasty that Babur established became known as "Mughal", the Persian for Mongol. These Muslim emperors created an atmosphere of religious tolerance to rule a diverse population with Hindus forming the vast majority. The imperial workshops employed Muslim and Hindu craftsmen from across the newly conquered territories. Persian was the cultural language of the multilingual empire which attracted skilled Iranian painters, calligraphers, architects and many others to the wealthy, cosmopolitan court.

Here are some of my favorites from the impressive variety of pieces on display.

Landhaur is Abducted in his Sleep by a Div, water color, about 1562-77:

Dagger and scabbard, gilt over iron core, inlaid with rubies, diamonds, emeralds, glass, ivory and agate, about 1605-20:

Casket (box) overlaid with mother of pearl and black lac.

There was a wonderful video that showed the process followed in making an object like this. The pattern is made and traced upon the object to be decorate. The mother of pearl is cut into the shapes specified by the pattern and glued onto the object. A dark resin called lac is then spread over the whole thing. Once dried, the excess is scraped off of the mother of pearl.

Mother of pearl objects, about 1570-1630:

Fall-front cabinet, 1570-90:

When Akbar died in 1605, his son Salim succeeded him. He chose the title Jahangir, meaning "World Seizer." The arts flourished, stimulated by the arrival of new practitioners from Iran and Europe. New materials and techniques also came into fashion. The dazzling appearance of the court inspired Sir Thomas Rose, England's first ambassador to the Mughal emperor, to write to Prince Charles (later King Charles I) that Jahangir's empire was "the treasury of the world."

Picture carpet:

Jeweled ring, scabbard, knife, pendant and wine decanter, 1610-1650:

Jangahir was given a zebra in 1621 and he ordered a court painter to depict it.

Candlestick, golden brass alloy, cast, engraved and inlaid with black compound, 1617-18:

Shah Jahan became emperor after his father died in 1627. The vast wealth accumulated in the imperial treasures allowed Shah Jahan to follow his passion for architecture. The unprecedented harmony in Mughal art was inspired by the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum built by the emperor for his wife, Arjumand Begum. The flowering plants carved on its wall and inlaid with jewel-like color influenced artistic production at all levels.

Drawings of the tops of the cenotaphs:

Arjumand Begum, aka Mumtaz Mahal, died in 1631 while giving birth to their fourteenth child. Within days, the grief-stricken emperor began planning a grand mausoleum for her in Agra, set within a large, formal garden. That was, of course, the Taj Mahal.

Model of the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal:

It was a fascinating collection of art to which I've not been often exposed. I think I need to read more about the Mughal empire in order to better appreciate it.