19th century, finely woven cotton, the full width from selvage to selvage decorated with block printed and hand painted designs in panels, the central panel featuring 18 portraits of rulers in decorative medallions on a blue field covered with flowers, vases, and birds, the top panel with two lions flanking a crown, with multiple decorative borders, top and bottom edges are raw.

3 ft. 6 in. x 7 ft. 2 in.

From the Collection of the late Mr. & Mrs. Paul and Betty Mushak, Durham, North Carolina

Portrait kalamkari such as this typically illustrate characters in the Shahnameh, or Persian Book of Kings, and were used for storytelling.

Brittleness with scattered holes and loss, especially to dark brown areas, staining and discoloration, otherwise good estate condition.