The paintings were sold as two separate pieces, although together they make a stunning portrait of the Shah Jahan and his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.Grief-stricken over her death during the birth of their fourteenth child, Shah Jahan commissioned the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India as a monument of his love for her.

This particular set of paintings are a replica of the originals, which were painted around the 13th or 14th century.

The paintings were purchased at Mayur Arts in Udaipur, India. Mayur Arts is a government-sanctioned co-op of various artists. These artists are well known for their abilities to paint these incredibly detailed replicas. They use vegetable dyes and small brushes. The brushes often contain only 1 or 2 hairs from the tails of squirrels. This specific duo is also imbedded with semi-precious stones and gold leaf.

The paintings show the Taj Mahal in the background, but it is only painted as half a building in each piece. When the pieces are placed side by side, you see the full depiction of the Taj Mahal. The white filigree around the paintings is hand carved from camel bone.