Diwan-i-Khas, Delhi Fort

Diwan-i-khas was the hall of private audiences where Mughal emperors met with courtiers and state guests. Miniature paintings on ivory were a popular art form in the Indian subcontinent. Thin translucent sheets of ivory were roughened and de-greased to make the surface retain paint. They were then bleached in the sun to make them whiter and the colours were made stickier by adding a binding material. George Birdwood, one of the Museum’s earliest curators, notes that painting on ivory was coveted by both the Indian and European elites.