Chandhu La'l

This portrait depicts a courtier who served the nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad in the early nineteenth century. In a composition that was typical of the period, Chandhu Lal is depicted seated on a carpet, surrounded by cushions, and holding a flower, with his sword lying before him. He wears the thin white cotton coat that was standard attire for aristocrats in India, and an impressive turban ornament, or sarpech, with pendant emeralds, probably a gift from the nizam.