Rectangular map consisting mostly of decorated tents, arranged in a circular fashion around a central tower and set of buildings, painted red. There are tiny labels near many of the buildings and tents.
AKM708, Plan of an Encampment, Front

© The Aga Khan Museum

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Plan of an Encampment
  • Accession Number:AKM708
  • Place:Afghanistan
  • Dimensions:28 x 66 cm
  • Date:ca. 1800
  • Materials and Technique:opaque watercolour, ink and gold on paper

  • This detailed aerial view of an encampment likely served as a working diagram. Rendered in various colours, many of its structures—including tents and pavilions—are given labels identifying their function and their distance from one another. The entire encampment pivots around a central structure, a “seven-storey gold bangala for the army’s lookout.” Additional structures include a harem, royal diwans, school, library, treasury, and a bazar, among others.

References
Graves, Margaret S. and Benoît Junod, eds. Architecture in Islamic Arts: Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum. Geneva: Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2011, 210–11. ISBN: 9780987846303

Note: This online resource is reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. We are committed to improving this information and will revise and update knowledge about this object as it becomes available.

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