Gold Bracelet with Miniature Portraits
North India, Lahore, mid-19th century
Gold, emeralds, gouache on ivory
Dimensions: 7 ½ x 1 inches (19 x 2.5 cm)

Seven miniature portraits of royal Sikh and Mughal personages sit in tiny gold frames. Each miniature is exquisitely hand painted with remarkable detail using gouache and gold on a thin piece of ivory. The sides of each painting are wrapped in gold. Small frames encircle the paintings with alternating textured gold hemispheres and emeralds resting in tiny settings. The portraits are joined with small round links, and finishes with a gold clasp.

A portrait of Ranjit Singh (r. 1792-1839), dominates the composition of the bracelet. Ranjit Singh succeeded his father as the chief of the Sukerchakia Misl when he was merely twelve years old. It was his aim to unify the Sikhs and create a Sikh state. He would later defeat the Afghan ruler, Shah Zaman, and be named Maharaja in the city of Lahore. A portrait of his wife, Rani Jina, sits to his right. Rani Jina took over rule of the Sikh dynasty as Regent to her youngest son, Dalip Singh, for a period shortly after Ranjit Singh’s death. She ruled from 1844-1846 at which time the Treaty of Lahore removed her from power.

To the other side of Rani Jina sits Hira Singh, the son of Dhian Singh, who was the Chief Minister of Ranjit Singh. As a young child, Hira Singh became a favorite companion to the Maharaja and was often thought of as his son. After the deaths of both his father and Ranjit Singh, Hira Singh was named Chief of Staff. His reign was short, as he was murdered just over a year later in 1844. Having died young, he is the only gentleman portrait to appear without a wife. To the far right appears a portrait of Sher Singh, Ranjit Singh’s second son. He engaged in a battle for succession with the help of Dhian Singh after the death of his father. They were both killed in battle shortly there after. To his right is his wife, Rani Dukno.

The final two portraits are of Shah Jahan (r. 1628-1658), son of Akbar, and his wife, Mumtaz, placed toward the center of the composition. Though they were not of blood relation, Ranjit Singh was often shown in comparison to Akbar and his kin. Akbar is seen as the greatest Mughal ruler. Therefore, greatness was linked to those that were of, or associated with, his lineage. As Ranjit Singh was the finest ruler of the Sikhs, leading the Sikhs to the pinnacle of their power, he was commemorated with such objects as this exquisitely crafted bracelet.