The Persian word muraqqa' means "patched" or "patched garment," similar to those worn by Islamic mystics (Sufis) as a sign of poverty and humility. It came to be applied to Mughal albums due to their patchwork construction, with each album folio consisting of numerous pieces of paper pasted together to form a single, continuous sheet. Typically, an image is on one side of a folio and a panel of calligraphy is on the other, and both are surrounded by decorated borders. Folios were originally arranged so that the openings of images alternated with openings of calligraphy.
This exhibition focuses on six magnificent muraqqa' assembled for the Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan. The albums reveal the refined splendor of their courts and their personal interests, passion for beauty, and close acquaintances. Each album today is a collection of loose folios, the remnants of larger groups of folios that originally formed a single bound volume or perhaps a series of related volumes. The six are known as the Salim Album (circa 1600-1605), Salim's Shikarnama (Hunting Book, circa 1600-1605), the Gulshan Album (circa 1600-18), the Minto Album (circa 1612-40), the Nasir al-Din Shah Album (circa 1627-45), and the Late Shah Jahan Album (circa 1650-58).
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