English: A local artist painted this portrait of Raja Sarabhoji of Tanjore (Thanjavur) on glass around 1860. The raja is holding a flower. This is a common feature of portraits of Indian rulers. It symbolises the sitter's sensitive and cultured nature. Most Company Paintings (pictures made by Indian artists for the British) were on paper or, less common, on ivory and mica (talc). Artists also occasionally used cloth, wood, or even conch shell. Chinese artists appear to have introduced glass-painting into India in the late 18th century. Glass-paintings were fragile and so the British seldom brought them back to England. This is one of only eight in the V&A.