Unknown Artist
Today say hello to the live-size terrapin. This large jade creature is carved from a single piece of green jade nephrite and is a unique piece of sculpture that was created during the Mughal empire.
The third Mughal emperor Akbar (who reigned from 1556 to 1605) built a new palace at the Hindu city of Prayag, which he then renamed Allahabad. In 1583 he made the city his capital, though he never lived there. Instead, the city became the residence of the crown prince Selim, his son by a Hindu princess from the Kachwaha clan of the Rajputs, whom Akbar had married in 1562. Selim, later become the emperor Jahangir (reigning from 1605 to 27). He was ambitious and impatient to inherit the throne, so he established a royal residence at Allahabad in rebellion against his father. The terrapin may date from this period, as a rare ornament for the garden pools at the prince's palace. Selim is known to have patronized jade carvers, and his fascination with natural phenomena is recorded. The carving, which may have taken more than a year, is extremely life-like, with the underbelly as carefully depicted as the rest. The head is slightly off-center so that the reptile appears to be moving slowly forwards.
Recently a naturalist identified the terrapin as a female of the species Kachuga dhongoka (common name; three-striped roof turtle or Indian dhongoka terrapin), native to the river Yamuna, which meets the Ganges at Allahabad.
P.S. The Mughal period left a lasting impression on South Asian art history and architecture. One of the most unique and delicate elements of the Mughal buildings were the jalis - masterfully carved stone screens.
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