Dear Helaine and Joe: We read your articles in the New Hampshire Union Leader, and we would like to know about some plates that were found in an estate sale in southern New Hampshire. There are three of them, and they are extremely well crafted with inlaid designs and reticulation on a possible bisque material. There are no markings.
Any information would be appreciated. Thank you. — G.
G. Dear G.G.
: To start, we think a brief discussion of the Mughal period in India will help everyone get their feet on the proverbial ground. This is a bit complicated, so we are going to simplify and offer some very abbreviated notes. The Mughal Dynasty in India was founded by Babur (14831530), who was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan through his brother, Chagatai Khan.
The second Mughal ruler, Humayun (1508-1556), was deposed by the Sur Empire, which lasted between 1540 and 1554. In 1555, Humayun retook the throne, but he only reigned for one more year until his death in 1556. At that time, Akbar took the throne of the Mughal Empire, and the golden age of the Mughals in India began.
The three greatest rulers of the Mughal Dynasty were Akbar (ruled 1556-1605), Jahangir (ruled 1605-1627) and Shah Jahan of Taj Mahal fame (ruled 1627-1658). The Mughal Dynasty lasted until 1858, when the last Mughal emperor was deposed by the British East India Co. Inlay work reminiscent of the kind on the pieces in today's question can be found at the main entrance to the Taj Mahal and the Musamman Burj (Agr.