Provenance:
European Private Collection
This elegant example of a chadar would have been incorporated into a royal garden pavilion to channel water from one level of the garden to another.
An important feature of Mughal architecture, the chadar was generally carved with a repetitive pattern and placed within the garden to both please the eye through the reflection of sunlight on the water and to please the ear with the sound of the cool water flowing across the placid marble.
Similar examples can be seen in situ at significant Mughal structures, including the Red Fort, which influenced later buildings and gardens in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, Braj, Rohilkhand, and elsewhere with its innovative architectural style and garden design. Typical features of Mughal gardens include pools, fountains, and canals.
The design carved into this chadar is thought to represent a series of Mughal water jugs, thus cleverly integrating the theme of water into both the design and the usage of the panel.
