An elderly woman, Bibi Juliyana (Juliana Dias da Costa), a former attendant of the Mughal Emperors
Mughal, circa 1730-50
gouache and gold on paper, inscribed verso Bebee Juliana in her old Age and in nasta'liq script
222 x 151 mm.
Footnotes:
Provenance
Formerly in a private Scottish collection until 2014.
Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 7th October 2014, lot 319.

The nasta'liq inscription reads: shabih-e bibi juliyana darhalat-e piranha salikehwasma bar abruy-e shah jahanmikashid, 'Portrait of Bibi Juliyana in old age, who used to stain Shah Jahan's eyebrows'.

Juliana Dias da Costa (1658-1734) was of Portuguese descent. Her family either fled for protection to, or were taken prisoner by, Mughal forces during the reign of Aurangzeb. Her father acted as a physician, and she entered into the service of the royal women, but she became most influential at court under Bahadur Shah I (reg. 1707-12), even (it was said) riding into battle beside him. Since she was born in the year he died it is not really conceivable that she 'stained the eyebrows' of Shah Jahan, so the note on the reverse either reflects ignorance of Mughal history, or simply the status of Shah Jahan as the most famous of the Emperors. The district of Delhi, Sarai Jullena, where she established a rest-house, is named after her.
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