Cleveland Museum of Art

Shamsher Sen of Mandi with a youth

Date

1760–70

Medium

Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

Culture

Northern India, Pahari Kingdom of Mandi

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

In 1727, Shamsher Sen inherited the Pahari kingdom of Mandi. The artist has rendered him with an intense gaze directed at a man, possibly his lover, who greets him with respect. The ashes on his forehead and neck mark Shamsher Sen as a follower of the Hindu god Shiva. In his turban, alongside an array of flowers, he wears a whistle, announcing his participation in a religious order devoted to Shiva. The inscription in the lower border reads shri damyan , meaning “Honorable Minister,” since he ruled as a minister of the Hindu god Krishna. Pahari rulers often pledged loyalty to multiple divinities. Shamsher Sen wears a small silver whistle in his turban.

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