Portrait of Emperor Shah Jahan, c.1650, Mughal dynasty (1526–1858), reign of Shah Jahan (Mughal, reigned 1628–1658). Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; image: 21 x 12.4 cm; sheet: 34 x 21.8 cm. Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, 389:1952.

This miniature painting depicts Emperor Shah Jahan (1592–1666) in formal court attire. He holds a rose, a royal Mughal symbol, representing sovereignty, power, and authority of the dynasty. The emperor was self-conscious about his image, and strictly controlled all portraits made of him. Artists were required to depict him only in profile, as no one should look upon his full countenance. This painting is one of only four full-length standing portraits of Shah Jahan known. The representation of the emperor in middle age is also very unusual. The miniature is surrounded by a painted border of feline heads set within a design of interwoven flowers. This border originally belonged to the Persian dictionary Farhang-i-Jahangiri (1608), which was later cut up and its borders added to many Mughal miniatures, such as this one.