Lot 90
A PORTRAIT OF THE SUFI SAINT SHAH HUSAYN
NORTHERN INDIA, LATE 18TH CENTURY
Auction: 09 December 2026 from 14:00 GMT
Description
gouache and gold on paper, depicting the Sufi saint wearing a white robe, sitting pensively under a blossom tree, a colourful variety of flowers growing at his feet, verso with five lines of naskh script in black ink comprising an Arabic qasida by Ka'b b. Zuhayr, signed al-faqir lutfullah (‘the poor Lutfullah’) with the number 14
Dimensions
Folio 21.5cm x 17cm, image 17.2cm x 13cm
Footnote
Shah Hussain (1538–1599), also known as Madhō Lāl Hussain, was a renowned Punjabi Sufi saint, poet and mystic from Lahore. He is remembered for his deep devotion to God, his message of divine love, and his rejection of religious and social boundaries. Shah Hussain expressed his spiritual beliefs through his poetry, particularly the Punjabi Kafi, a form of Sufi devotional verse. His poetry explored themes of love, longing, selflessness and the soul's desire for union with the Divine.