Portrait of an Unidentified Nobleman, Mewar

This is a cabinet card portrait of an unidentified noble of Mewar in his traditional garb. His turban is tilted to his left and fixed with ornamental jewels. He is also wearing earrings and necklaces. Read about Indian kings and their fabulous jewels here. On the back of the photograph is printed the name of the studio, Mohanlal, Oodeypoor (Udaipur).

Cabinet cards replaced the carte-de-visite format as the dominant medium of commercial photography in late 19th century. Mohanlal and his brother Shivalal were painters and photographers active in 19th-century Udaipur. Why did photographers also need to be painters? Get the answer here.