# A Ruler Presents a Document to Visiting Nobles

- Date: c. 1700–1720
- Medium: Gum tempera and gold on paper
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: Overall: 22 x 32.7 cm (8 11/16 x 12 7/8 in.)
- Culture: Mughal India, Deccan
- Credit line: Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
- Museum: [Cleveland Museum of Art](https://clevelandart.org/art/1996.296)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/cma/1996.296/1996.296_web.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Many carpets produced in the southwestern region of the Indian subcontinent feature a tone-on-tone mustard-yellow color scheme with lattice design. It demarcates the space of honor for the highest-ranking members of the refined gathering of literary connoisseurs. The figure facing right, with the peacock-feather whisk held over him, would be the host. He has a letter or poem in his hand. His guests have partaken of an aromatic betel-leaf packet (paan) and a rose from the dishes between them. Implements for writing and trimming paper lie on the carpet between a spittoon and courtly stabbing dagger (katar).