Taj Mahal. A mid 19th Century oval miniature on ivory.

Agra School, mid 19th century. A small oval miniature painting on ivory of the Taj Mahal, approximate size 62 x 50mm. The view shows the Taj from across the River Jumna with part of the gateway on the left. It retains its original glazed inner frame of silvered metal which would have been fitted into a carved box or frame. There are some dirt marks across the areas of the sky and sea which look as though they are on the inside of the glass rather than on the painting but we have not removed the miniature from the frame into which it is tightly fixed. This is the type high quality miniature produced in the mid nineteenth century to satisfy the English demand for souvenirs of India.