published in Jens Kröger: 2004. Islamische Kunst in Berliner Sammlungen, p. 198. Illustration text there: Portrait of Taimur Khan, King of Kandahar and parts of Iran and India, in Baghdad in 1785. The prince, also known as Timur Shah, from the Afghan ruling family of the Durrani is shown in a majestic pose and with the heron feather reserved for rulers on his fanciful cap. The shape of his robe is characteristic of Afghanistan, as is the view through the window of a mountainous landscape. Assisted by a servant with a Persian turban, he receives an envoy with an Ottoman headdress, who humbly hands him a letter. In succession to Nadir Shah, the rulers of Afghanistan had claimed the throne of Iran. Even after the Ottoman conquest of Iraq in 1638, Iran in turn had always laid claim to the entire territory, so it is conceivable that Iranian princes, even if they were Sunnis like this one, had themselves "portrayed" while travelling to the Shiite holy sites of Iraq, in particular Najaf and Karbala. Simultaneous album sheet, Iran, gouache colours, French inscription in the upper margin.