Portrait of a Seated Raja c. 1720

This portrait of a seated Raja, whose maker is unknown, was likely painted with opaque watercolor on paper. The paper support itself is significant. Paintings like this were often bound into albums, or *muraqqa*, which served as mobile displays of wealth and taste. The relatively small scale invites close examination of the highly skilled brushwork. Note the rendering of the Raja's jewelry and the diaphanous quality of his garments, achieved through thin, careful applications of pigment. The production of these paintings involved specialized labor, from the preparation of pigments to the training of artists in workshops, often under royal patronage. The prevalence of such luxury objects reflects the social hierarchies of the time, with the Raja’s serene pose and symbolic sword embodying power and authority. Consider how this small object evokes the vast networks of production and consumption that sustained courtly life. It reminds us that even seemingly delicate works of art are deeply embedded in their social and economic context.