Muraqqa'

ART:Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle Until Oct 3 01-4070750

The painting above, by Bichitr, is from an album dating from 1615-1620, during the centuries-long reign of the Mughal emperors in India (the last ruler was exiled by the British in 1858). It depicts a gathering in a garden with a prince, who wears a green Jama, at its heart.

Every so often the Chester Beatty Library comes up with an absolutely unmissable exhibition and, remarkably, it usually doesn’t have to look far to find it: its collection is so extraordinary that it yields all manner of treasures.

Its collection of Mughal miniatures and calligraphy is considered one finest of its kind in existence. The exquisite, intricately detailed paintings, which we now see as individual works, were originally gathered in album folios pasted together to form continuous sheets.

The Persian word muraqqa’ translates as “album” or “patched garment”. The show is just back from the US, where it visited four venues to great acclaim. Go see.

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