Ustad Mansur (flourished 1590 - 1624) was a 117th century Mughal painter and court artist. He grew in acclaim during the reign of Jehangir (r.1605 - 1627) during which period he excelled at depicting plants and animals. He was the earliest artist to depict the Dodo in colour, apart from being the first to illustrate the Siberian Crane. Towards the end of Akbar's reign, he gained the prefix of ustad (=master) and during the reign of Mughal Emperor Jahangir his masterpieces earned him the title of Nãdir-al-’Asr ("Unequalled of the age"). While many of Mansur's paintings bear his signatures, some were copied along with the signature by others and these works are widely dispersed around the world in museum and private collections.

Ali Khan Karori, later known as 'Naubat Khan Kalawant', playing the
vina Mughal, by Mansur.

Signed at bottom of painted surface in
Persian 'Amal-i Mansur Naqqash' (the
work of Mansur the painter). Mounted on
European paper obscuring 17th century
inscriptions and two seal impressions.
Inner floral border and margin of gold-
sprinkled pink paper. Inscribed on the reverse in an English hand (Jonathan Scott) 'An Indian Musician playing upon an instrument called Bin, a sort of double
Lute. Panton Plymley I790 from lonathan
Scott, Esq. of Netley.'

Mansur was highly praised for his work
during his lifetime, and is today still rated as one of the few truly great masters of Mughal painting. His t1raceable working career begins about 1590 from when he began contributing to a number of the fine illustrated manuscripts being prepared by the imperial studio for Akbar. But it was lahangir, the connoisseur son of Akbar, who heaped praises and the title Nadir al-Asr (Wonder of the Age) upon him. The present picture dates from before _Iahangir's accession in I605, and belongs to the small group of early
masterpieces upon which the artist’s rise
to fame was founded. This most delicate
portrait, of an artist from another field of
Indian culture, gives us a rare sight of
Mansur‘s remarkable all-round genius.

It was the late Dr. Moti Chandra who
first pointed out that the subject of this
picture must be Ali Khan Karori, the
musician upon whom Jahangir conferred
the title ‘Naubat Khan Kalawant’ in I607
the identification was made by
comparison with the slightly later portrait of this man which is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Coomaraswamy, I930, no. LXIII, pl. XXVIII). His likeness is also found among a group of courtiers in a double-page composition in the Akbarnama manuscript of circa I590, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (l.S. 2-1896 I12 and II3/117). Jahangir refers to Naubat Khan as ‘one of my father's old servants’, indicating a long and excellent career of musical performance for the court.

Provenance:
I. The Mughal Emperor Akbar and his
descendants. A royal Mughal seal, probably that of Shah Jahan, is concealed by a label on the reverse. 2. Jonathan Scott, Secretary to Warren Hastings
in Calcutta, prior to I790. 3. Given to Panton Plymley in I790, as recounted
on the label on the reverse of the picture.
4. E. Croft Murray, CBE, FSA. Published and Exhibited: Burlington Fine Arts Club,
I93], no. 190; Ashton, 1947-8, no. 7l7; Gray,I951, fig. 6; Welch, I963, no. I8; Das, I975, fig. 4; Finder-VVilson. I976, no. 85; Beach, I978, p. I42