Dressing in the Deccan: Clothing and Identity at the Courts of Central India

25 June 2021

In the complex political landscape of the Deccan in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, portraits did more than simply convey a likeness of the sitter. They were produced at the court but then were disseminated to different markets and were exchanged during the course of diplomacy. Therefore, they served to also convey important aspects of the subject’s ethnic identity, political affiliation,  and cultural aspirations. This talk will examine a selection of Deccani portraits to see how the figures’ dress served to reinforce those images.

Watch the video below.