PRAGUE, 1604-05 AD

Aegidius Sadeler or Aegidius Sadeler II (1570–1629) was a Flemish engraver who was principally active at the Prague court of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor and his successors. The three portraits present here depict Zaynal Khan, Mehdi Quli Beg and Anthony Shirley. Zeynal Khan (also known as Zaynal al-Beg Shamlu) was a notable nobleman in the Safavid era. It seems he served as a military commander for both Shah Abbas I and Shah Safi. This portrait of him was most probably created when he travelled with Mehdi Quli Beg as the Persian ambassadors to the court of Rudolf II in Prague, in 1604 and 1605. It has been recorded that Anthony Shirley whose portrait is also present here had also lead a Persian embassy from Shah ‘Abbas I to Prague in 1600 (Horníčková and Šroněk, 2010, p.6).