India; Deccan 17th-18th c. gilded copper; Gilt-Copper with Iron and Silk Length: 27 inches (69 cm) |
Detail: Face detail A very rare and spectacular example of a royal standard from the Imperial Mughal Court, this fish insignia was considered one of the highest honours, granted only to those nobles above the rank of 6000 zat and to highly valued allies of the Mughal sovereign. The figure of the fish, possibly a cat-fish, would have been attached behind with a long textile streamer which became inflated as the wind blew through the fish�s mouth. The head was accompanied by two spheres or balls of power, one of which is present, also fixed on poles. Together the head and the spheres were known as the �fish and dignities� (mahi o maratib). This standard was fixed on to the top of a long pole and carried in important processions or into battle by a member of the nobleman�s retinue, who would have been riding either a camel or an elephant. The standard would thus have towered high above the ranks on foot. Detail: Underside |
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