Classic Miniature Art

A collection of intricate historical miniatures depicting religious themes and narratives, with vibrant colors, detailed characters, and scenes from ancient texts.

Muhammad and Ali appear in a vision, in the form of flame, to a noble, his household and his veiled womenfolk

Miniature Depicting Prophet. Iran, 17th century or later. Manuscripts; folios. Ink, colors and gold on paper

Kay Khusrau meets with Rustam prior to his going to rescue Bîzhan., 1616 - 1620 (Inferred), Istanbul, Manuscripts, Turkish, 13.4 x 18 cm

"Yusuf is Drawn Up from the Well", Folio from a Yusuf and Zulaikha of Jami second half 16th century Maulana Nur al-Din `Abd al-Rahman Jami. "Yusuf is Drawn Up from the Well", Folio from a Yusuf and Zulaikha of Jami 451423

Rajasthani miniature painting from Rajasthan, India. Probably late 19th century or early 20th century. A man of rank riding on an elephant with an attendant and a driver. The elephant has been pain

Kaiwan sends a love message to Khurshid, the wife of his brother Utarid, who is away on a journey, from a Tuti-nama, Tales of a Parrot. Tutinama, Tales of a Parrot, is a series of 52 stories in Persian from the 14th century, in the 16th century Mughal Emperor Agbar commissioned an illustrated version, Thirty-Second Night, c.1560. Mughal India, Court of Akbar (r . 1556-1605), historical, digitally restored reproduction of an original from that time.

Circumcision ceremony for Akbars sons, painting 126 from an Akbar-nama (Book of Akbar) of Abul Fazl (Indian, 1551-1602), c. 1602-3. Attributed to Dharam Das (Indian, active c. 1580-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; image: 22.9 x 12.1 cm (9 x 4 3/4 in.); sheet with border: 34.7 x 22.5 cm (13 11/16 x 8 7/8 in.). This page is from a copy of the biography of Akbar that was completed not long before his death in 1605. It depicts him much younger, during the festivities held on October 22, 1573, in his newly built capital city of Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra, on the occasion of the circumcision ceremony for his three young sons. Dancers in Chaghatai Turkish dress perform as Akbars weight in gold is being distributed to the poor. Akbar wears a simple white tunic, or jama, stained at the armpits by aromatic musk. A curved dagger in a red velvet sheath is tucked into his golden sash, and he is crowned with a white crested turban.

Rustam says goodbye to Shah Kai Khusrau, Husain Mirza Baiqara van Herat (Manner of), c. 1469 - c. 1506 drawing. Persian miniature paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush

The maid appeals for justice and the prince is taken to the execution site for the fourth time, from a Tuti-nama, Tales of a Parrot. Tutinama, Tales of a Parrot, is a series of 52 stories in Persian from the 14th century, in the 16th century Mughal Emperor Agbar commissioned an illustrated version, historical, digitally restored reproduction from a original from the period.

Muhammad and Ali appear in a vision, in the form of flame, to a noble, his household and his veiled womenfolk

Rajasthani miniature painting from Rajasthan, India. Probably late 19th century or early 20th century. A man of rank riding on an elephant with an attendant and a driver. The elephant has been painted as if it has been created from many different animals.

"Manuchihr Welcomes Sam but Orders War upon Mihrab", Folio 80v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp ca. 1525 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Sam arrived at the imperial court and was received by Shah Manuchihr, who listened with admiration as he reported on the victories and adventures of the campaign. However, when Sam broached the subject of his son Zal marrying his beloved Rudaba, the Shah would have none of it. Instead, he commanded Sam to leave at once for a war of annihilation against King Mihrab, Rudabas father. The artist, an assistant to Sultan Muhammad, has charmingly depicted a standard court scene populated by squat Turkman-type figures. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #1171. Kids: Manuchihr Welcomes Sam but Orders War upon Mihrab, Folio from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. We are working to make it avai

A King Granting an Audience, 15th century, 8 1/16 x 6 5/16 in. (20.48 x 16.03 cm) (image), Ink, colors and gold on paper, Iran, 15th century

"Shaikh San'an beneath the Window of the Christian Maiden", Folio18r from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds) ca. 1600 Farid al-Din `Attar This Safavid illustration depicts a scene from a famous story of Shaikh San'an that is often illustrated in other manuscripts of the Mantiq al-Tayr. The story is as follows: A celebrated shaikh named San'an went from Ka'ba to Greece and fell in love with a Christian maiden. At her suggestion, he became a Christian and even looked after swine, which are considered unclean in Islam. When his disciples heard about this, they came to Greece and prayed to God that Shaikh San'an would return to the right path. Due to the disciples' prayers, he revived his Muslim faith and returned to his home in the Hijaz. Then, repenting of her deed, the Christian maiden followed him and converted to Islam. Shaikh San'an sensed that she had true faith in Islam and turned back to seek her with his disciples. When she saw Shaikh San'an, she fainted and this made him c

"Emperor Babur Receiving a Visitor", Folio from a Baburnama (The Book of Babur) ca. 1590 The memoirs of Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire, were translated from the original Turki into Persian under the patronage of Baburs grandson Akbar, who held a strong interest in the history and literary culture of his empire. In this scene, Babur stands as a visitor bows before him. Courtiers and attendants wear daggers in their sashes that provide a record of courtly fashions and accessories of the time. The fly whisk in the hand of an attendant, the carpet on which the figures stand, and the tent overhead also provide a glimpse into the opulent settings of royal life.. "Emperor Babur Receiving a Visitor", Folio from a Baburnama (The Book of Babur). ca. 1590. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. Made in present-day Pakistan, probably Lahore. Codices

"Alexander at a Banquet", Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami dated A.H. 931/A.D. 1524-25 Nizami The Khamsa of Nizami, written between 1298 and 1302, is a canonical work of Persian literature. One of the five poems within it tells the story of Alexander the Great, who is identified as the half-brother of the Persian king Darab in various histories. By presenting Alexander in this manner, the audience was able to identify with its ancestors conqueror. Although the story took place in the fourth century BC, the objects that appear in this feast (bazm) scene provide an insight into the types of luxury objects and musical instruments that were in use at the time that the manuscript was produced. The figures wear their turbans in the style typical of Safavid Iran, with twelve folds wrapped around a baton to symbolize the twelve Shii imams.. "Alexander at a Banquet", Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami 446612

The extraction of coral (marjân) from the sea, f. 148v. 1540 - 1545. Qazwīnī, Zakarīyā ibn Muammad, approximately 1203-1283. text. Illuminations, Manuscripts, Miniatures (Illuminations). Spencer Collection. Mountains, Birds, Animals, Manuscripts, Persian

God Ganesha (Ganapati) with elephant trunk with his two servants siddhi and buddhi seated under a balkine.

"The Old Snake Tells the Tale of Biting the Ascetic's Son by Mistake", Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna second quarter 16th century This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavor of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.. "The Old Snake Tells the Tale of Biting the Ascetic's Son by Mistake", Foli

A Heroine and Her Paramour: Malavi Ragini, from a Ragamala, c. 1695. Gum tempera and gold on paper; page: 37.5 x 29.2 cm (14 3/4 x 11 1/2 in.). The painting is divided into two registers. The top register depicts a royal lady being attended by maidservants outside a bed chamber. The lower register depicts a noble walking with his consort, holding her tight and offering her a garland. The surrounding women dance and play music with an exuberance echoed in the vegetation.

"The Head of the Village Thanks the King for Accepting his Humble Hospitality", Folio from a Kulliyat (Complete Works) of Sa'di 19th century. "The Head of the Village Thanks the King for Accepting his Humble Hospitality", Folio from a Kulliyat (Complete Works) of Sa'di 455027

King Timur and Nazaben, Anonymous, 1700 - 1899 Indian miniature. drawing India paper brush

Circumcision ceremony for Akbars sons, painting 126 from an Akbar-nama (Book of Akbar) of Abul Fazl by Dharam Das, circa 1602-3, Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Jeweled Tree, Muhammad, Dust, 1530

Kaiwan sends a love message to Khurshid, the woman of his brother Utarid, who is on a journey, from a Tuti-nama, Tales of a Parrot. Tutinama, Tales of a Parrot, is a series of 52 stories in Persian from the 14th century, in the 16th century Mughal Emperor Agbar commissioned an illustrated version, Thirty-second Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, Court of Akbar (r. 1556-1605), Historical, digitally restored reproduction from an original of the period

Krishna and Radha with Their Confidantes: Page from a Dispersed Gita Govinda ca. 1655-60 Style of Manohar Early Indian paintings are often divided into multiple registers in which successive episodes of a story are related. Above, Krishna holds his hand in a gesture of exposition while Radha gazes on in erotic expectation. Below, an open garlanded bower anticipates their tryst and alludes to the sexual tension generated by Krishnas seduction of Radha, described in the associated passage of the Gita Govinda. This work, while based on earlier paintings by the artist Sahibdin, was probably produced in Manohars workshop. It is characterized by a bolder but perhaps less refined style.. Krishna and Radha with Their Confidantes: Page from a Dispersed Gita Govinda 37906

The House of Bijapur ca. 1680 Painting by Kamal Muhammad This image from Bijapur made for the last of its rulers, Sikandar, shown here as a young boy soon before the fall of the kingdom to Mughal conquerors in 1686, brings together all nine Adil Shahi sultans in a dynastic assembly likely inspired by Mughal paintings illustrating the same idea. Distant views of water hint at Bijapur’s former vastness, which, at its greatest extent, stretched to include Goa on the Arabian Sea. The key of legitimacy is being handed over by Isma’il, founder of the Safavid dynasty of Iran (here erroneously identified as Shah Abbas in a later inscription), to Yusuf, founder of the Bijapur dynasty, symbolizing the unwavering allegiance of the Adil Shahi family to the Shi’ite creed. During its golden period under the free-thinking Ibrahim II (1579-1626, shown third from right), however, Bijapur witnessed an open embrace of Hinduism and Sufism and the formalization in 1583 of Sunnism as the state religion,

Ramkali Ragini: Folio from a ragamala series (Garland of Musical Modes). Culture: India (Rajasthan, Bikaner). Dimensions: 6 1/2 × 4 3/4 in. (16.5 × 12.1 cm). Date: ca. 1605-06.The texts related to this ragini tell of a vivacious woman anxiously waiting for her lover, who arrives far too late. The written sources build tension by describing her high spirits and excitement at being near her hero as well as her wish to enchant him through her actions and sentiment. Still, she suspects he has been with another woman, which is dramatized by her gesture of rejection and his posture of apology. As is typical in Rajput painting, emotion is not indicated by facial expressions but rather by gesture and allusion. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Another street with small shops in Faizâbâd, fol. 12v-13 A bazar in Faizâbâd. asan, Mīr, active 18th century. 1822-02-12. Spencer Collection

Old wise man with four visitors kneeling for him, Anonymous, 1790 - 1810 Indian miniature. drawing On a piece of bald soil in a green field, an old man with a beard is on the left under a tree with a white bark, on the right in front of him are three men kneeling with beards, in the foreground a fourth, younger figure with pointed hat; Two columns text in Persian above and below and on the back. The show is in the middle of the leaf and covers the width of two columns of text that are located above and below the performance and also on the back of the leaf, almost at the top of the Verso there is a wide blue track with writing in white horizontal over the vertical columns applied. Cashmir paper brush / brush

"Rustam Brings the Div King to Kai Kavus for Execution", Folio 127v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp ca. 1525-30 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Even with the death of the White Div and the Div General Arzhang, the demons of the Div King of Mazandaran continue to harry the Iranians. At last, Kai Kavus leads his army into battle gainst the divs. Rustam captures the Div King, who transforms himself into a stone. When Rustam lugs him to Kai Kavus and threatens to slice him up, he returns to div form and is executed on Kai Kavus's order. A later hand blackened the face and hands of Kai Kavus.. "Rustam Brings the Div King to Kai Kavus for Execution", Folio 127v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp 452128

Guyuk Khan feasting. From the Tarikh-i Jahangushay-i Juvaini (1438). Guyuk was the third Khagan of the Mongol Empire. He was the eldest son of Ogedei Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, and reigned from 1246 to 1248.

Bahram V was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia (421-438). Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur, he was a son of Yazdegerd I (399-421), after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah. Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted from the woods for use. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries.

Twee dames met hun bedienden op een terras voor een paleis.There are two women on a terrace under a canopy; behind each of them a servant with a bowl and one with a range. The performance is just below the center of the leaf over two columns text, which continues on the back.

"Kai Khusrau's War Prizes Are Pledged", Folio 225v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp ca. 1530 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi In preparation for war with the Turanians, Kai Khusrau ordered treasures and armor to be brought forth from the royal treasury and promised as prizes to the winners of six feats of prowess in the coming hostilities. Trays of gems and armor sit on the ground before the king. The style of this painting is characteristic of the third director of the Shahnama project, Aqa Mirak. The harmony of the composition is achieved not only by balancing solids and voids but also through the distribution of ultramarine blue, orange-red, and light green across the image against a ground of light blue.. "Kai Khusrau's War Prizes Are Pledged", Folio 225v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp 452143

"A Youth, who has Fallen in Love with a Princess, Dies at her Feet when she Speaks", Folio from a Kulliyat (Complete Works) of Sa'di 19th century. "A Youth, who has Fallen in Love with a Princess, Dies at her Feet when she Speaks", Folio from a Kulliyat (Complete Works) of Sa'di 455028

Akbar sitting on his throne. The Mughal Emperor Akbar, sitting on his throne for his palace in the palace garden.

Radha and Krishna in a palace (Ragamala). Radha and Krishna sit on a bench on a terrace. Krishna holds a water lily in his left hand and with his right hand he embraces Radha. They are surrounded by three women: a dancer, a woman who plays a drum and a servant with a range made from peacock feathers. Above the drawing An inscription in the Devanagari script: Sri Ragakii (Raakhii) Svaruupa. No 27. No. 27 from the Ragamala series

"Zulaykha Bidding for Yusuf in the Slave Market in Egypt", Folio from Yusuf and Zulaykha second half 16th century. "Zulaykha Bidding for Yusuf in the Slave Market in Egypt", Folio from Yusuf and Zulaykha 452052

"Yusuf and Zulaykha United After Potiphar's Death", Folio from a Yusuf and Zulaykha 16th century. "Yusuf and Zulaykha United After Potiphar's Death", Folio from a Yusuf and Zulaykha 446614

"Sultan Listening to a Man Reading from a Manuscript", Folio from a Manuscript by Mir Ali Shir Nava'i early 16th century Attributed to Mir Ali Shir Nava'i. "Sultan Listening to a Man Reading from a Manuscript", Folio from a Manuscript by Mir Ali Shir Nava'i 449689

Ragamala Paintings are a series of illustrative paintings from medieval India based on Ragamala or the 'Garland of Ragas', depicting various Indian musical nodes, Ragas. They stand as a classical example of the amalgamation of art, poetry and classical music in medieval India. Ragamala paintings were created in most schools of Indian painting, starting in the 16th and 17th centuries and are today named accordingly, as Pahari Ragamala, Rajasthan or Rajput Ragamala, Deccan Ragamala, and Mughal Ragamala.

Dhû'l-Qarnayn, "the two-horned" (i.e., Iskandar or Alexander the Great), accompanied by six warriors supervises the building of the wall between the known world and the lands of the Yjûj and Mjûj, fol. 132. 1580. Manuscripts. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Persian

"Sam Seals His Pact with Sindukht", Folio 85v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp ca. 1525-30 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Although Sam is still ignorant of Sindukht's identity, he asks her probing questions about herself and Rudaba. She refuses to answer until Sam has promised to ensure her safety and that of her family, no matter what happens to Kabul. He takes her hand to seal the vow, and she tells him her true identity.. "Sam Seals His Pact with Sindukht", Folio 85v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp 452121

"The Combat of Rustam and Ashkabus", Folio 268v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp ca. 1525-30 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi With daylight the battle resumes. Before the armies can clash, Ashkabus rides out from the Turanian side and starts to abuse the Iranians. After Ruhham tries unsuccessfully to shoot Ashkabus with arrows, Rustam enters the fray. He is on foot, having left Rakhsh to rest. He parries the taunts of Ashkabus, then shoots the Turanian's horse with a single arrow. After that, one arrow from Rustam's bow finishes him off.. "The Combat of Rustam and Ashkabus", Folio 268v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp 452149

A Heroine and Her Lover in a Pavilion: Page from a Dispersed Nayikabheda ca. 1660-80 India (Madhya Pradesh, Malwa) The extensive poetic Nayikabheda literature examines the nature of romantic interactions between idealized male (nayaka) and female (nayika) types. The related paintings translate this poetry into refined visual representations that in Malwa take on formal and iconic qualities. In this work (from the same manuscript as 1979.505), the womans gesture of speech or exposition indicates that the two characters are engaged in conversation, as befits the sometimes classificatory nature of the Nayikabheda.. A Heroine and Her Lover in a Pavilion: Page from a Dispersed Nayikabheda 37891

Shri Raga: Folio from a ragamala series (Garland of Musical Modes) mid-17th century India (Rajasthan, Bundi) Here the ruler is seen playing a rudra vina, accompanied by two musicians. This rare representation of ruler as performer appears in paintings from the Bundi and Kota courts. The work also references the fall harvest festivals, a time for relaxing and celebration. The complex architectural setting and the jewel-like treatment of flowering tree are typical of Bundi painting.. Shri Raga: Folio from a ragamala series (Garland of Musical Modes) 37871

The hunter offers the mother parrot to the king of Kamarupa, from a Tuti-nama, Tales of a Parrot. Tutinama, Tales of a Parrot, is a series of 52 stories in Persian from the 14th century, in the 16th century Mughal Emperor Agbar commissioned an illustrated version, Fifth Night, c. 1560. Basavana (Indian, active c. 1560-1600 ). Historical, digitally restored reproduction of a original from that time.

Hindola Raga, c. 1790-1800. Northern India, Himachal Pradesh, Pahari Kingdom of Kangra. Gum tempera and gold on paper; image: 20.5 x 15.3 cm (8 1/16 x 6 in.); with mat: 35.5 x 25.4 cm (14 x 10 in.). To celebrate the coming of spring, Krishna sits on a swing with his beloved Radha as their companions, the cowherd boys and milkmaids, play music, dance, admire the idyllic couple, and keep their swing gently in motion. In Sanskrit, hindola means swing, and this painting belonged to a set of ragas, which are paintings associated with a musical mode. Music played in the Hindola Raga elicits the fever of young love in springtime. Radha and Krishna represent the ideal of a young couple in love.

Borte Ujin (c.1162 - 1230) was the first wife of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Borte became the head of the first Court of Genghis Khan, and Grand Empress of his Empire. Little is known about the details of her early life, but she was betrothed to him at a young age, married at 17, and then kidnapped by a rival tribe. The decision by her husband to rescue her may have been one of the key decisions that started him on his path to conquer the world. She gave birth to four sons and five daughters, who, along with their own descendants, were the key bloodline which further expanded the Mongol Empire.

Woman, that rest under a tree, anonymous, 1500 - 1600 Khusrau finds Shirin Badend on // Illustration of the Khamsa of Nizami. Khusrau finds Shirin while she was bathing in the river. (AK Title) Persia paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush Khusrau finds Shirin Badend on // Illustration of the Khamsa of Nizami. Khusrau finds Shirin while she was bathing in the river. (AK Title) Persia paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush

Mughal painting depicting Abraham being visited by Angels. The patriarch, holding a book and censer, looks back at one angel following him across a courtyard; an entrance behind supported by two golden pillars reveals two winged angels standing on either side of an altar upon which rests a radiant golden casket; in the foreground four men in European costume and with puzzled expressions cluster before the gate; a rural landscape is visible behind through and above the openings in a high arched wall, a finely painted miniature in good condition, design on columns and casket raised in gold, an album leaf with inner border of flowers in gold on red ground and blue panel above and below with flowers on gold; four lines of diagonal nasta'liq calligraphy on the verso with gilt interlinear decoration. Dated 17th Century

"Balarama and Krishna Fighting the Enemy", Folio from a Harivamsa (The Legend of Hari (Krishna)). Dimensions: Image: H. 12 in. (30.5 cm) W. 7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm)Page: H. 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm)W. 9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm)Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm) W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm). Date: ca. 1590-95.The Harivamsa recounts the story of Krishna, one of the incarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu. In this battle scene, Krishna, dressed in yellow and holding his discus, stands atop a mountain. Carrying his own attributes of the plow and pestle, Krishna's older brother Balarama strikes a soldier of the opposing army. This manuscript, commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1606), is one of many examples of Hindu texts that were translated and illustrated during Akbar's reign, as the Emperor took a keen interest in the traditions and stories of other religious groups in India, founding a translation center to facilitate the spread of knowledge. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Fighting at the gates to Jerusalemm: Victory to the Muslems and the expulsion of infidels, miniature from The tales of Luqma, Arabic manuscript, 1583.

The Wedding Night of Anushirvan and the Khaqan's Daughter (from a copy of Firdausi's Shahnama) 1560-1570 Iran. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper . Islamic

"The Angel Gabriel meets 'Amr ibn Zaid (the Shepherd)", Folio from a Siyer-i Nebi (the Life of the Prophet) ca. 1595 Painting by Mustafa ibn Vali This miniature once belonged to the fourth volume of a six-volume work devoted to the life of the Prophet commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Murad III (r. 1574-95). Depicted are the encounter of the Archangel Gabriel and the shepherd 'Amr ibn Zaid, set against a landscape dominated by rocks and trees.. "The Angel Gabriel meets 'Amr ibn Zaid (the Shepherd)", Folio from a Siyer-i Nebi (the Life of the Prophet) 453351

Women Play Music for Radha and Krishna: Chitrini Nayika, from a Rasikapriya, c. 1650. Central India, Madhya Pradesh, Malwa. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; page: 22.9 x 16.2 cm (9 x 6 3/8 in.). The idea of aesthetic appreciation as explored by the poet Keshavdas (Indian, 1555-1617) in the excerpt from his Rasikapriya written on the back of this painting is envisioned as the appreciation of music. With their arms around each other, Radha and Krishna enjoy the performance on a stringed instrument (setar), cymbals, and drum in the forest.

A blue-gray dîv riding a brown ostrich (name not readable). Anyone he looks at dies instantly top; A seated dîv with a red coat draped over one shoulder, whose descendants are the Nasnâs, people of Ethiopia bottom, f. 301. 1540 - 1545. Qazwīnī, Zakarīyā ibn Muammad, approximately 1203-1283. text. Illuminations, Manuscripts, Miniatures (Illuminations). Spencer Collection. Mountains, Birds, Animals, Manuscripts, Persian

Krishna and Radha, Page from a Dispersed Rasikapriya (Verses Celebrating Aspects of Love). Culture: India (Rajasthan, Bundi). Dimensions: Image: 12 3/8 in. × 7 in. (31.4 × 17.8 cm)Mat: 13 1/2 × 8 7/8 in. (34.3 × 22.5 cm). Date: ca. 1660-70.Krishna approaches Radha and a go-between who has facilitated their meeting. The open pavilion and empty bed, allusions to a possible passionate encounter, are a recurrent theme within paintings illustrating the devotional poetry of the Rasikapriya. Bundi workshops developed a refined jewel-like painting style featuring patterned architecture and a verdant conception of nature. While the Bundi aesthetic shares many characteristics with the Mewar and Malwa idioms, especially the architectural consideration of space, contact with the Mughal atelier contributed to its realistic portrayal of the natural world. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Male and Woman under a gender in a garden, for them four musicians, anonymous, 1500 - 1600 Being together of Khusrau and Shirin // Illustration of the Khamsa of Nizama. A frost and a queen are under a canopy. (AK Title) Persia paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush Being together of Khusrau and Shirin // Illustration of the Khamsa of Nizama. A frost and a queen are under a canopy. (AK Title) Persia paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush

Krishna and De Herdinnen, between text in Nastaliq writing, Anonymous, 1700 - 1799 On an elongated magazine there is a performance of Krishna with shepherd's for a cave in which a man and a woman with a vast hand wait for him. The leaf is equipped with a piping in light green with black framework lines, the right edge shows traces of being torn out of somewhere; Bovn The framework on the top edge another inscription. India paper brush On an elongated magazine there is a performance of Krishna with shepherd's for a cave in which a man and a woman with a vast hand wait for him. The leaf is equipped with a piping in light green with black framework lines, the right edge shows traces of being torn out of somewhere; Bovn The framework on the top edge another inscription. India paper brush

Bhairavi worshipping at a shrine of Shiva, with three women standing behind. Gouache painting by an Indian painter.

"A Bathhouse Keeper is Consumed by Passion for his Beloved", Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi. Artist: Painted by Nar Singh. Dimensions: Image: H. 10 in. (25.4 cm) W. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)Page: H. 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm)W. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm)Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm) W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm). Poet: Amir Khusrau Dihlavi (1253-1325). Date: 1597-98.Matla' al-Anwar (Rising of the Luminaries), the first poem of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi's Quintet, is comprised of 3310 verses compiled approximately in twenty Maqalat (didactic discourses). Matla' al-Anwar is a response by Amir Khusrau to Nizami Ganjavi's Makhzan al-Asrar. Painted at Lahore by Nar sing, this painting shows a bathhouse keeper who falls in love when he sees the king on his visit with his retinue. Attention gained by the King, stokes the heat of mystical love that enflames the bathhouse keeper. The King and most of his entourage raise their index fingers in awe and surprise at the sight of the beholder. The paint

A feast for Babur hosted by his half-brother Jahangir Mirza in Ghazni in May 1505, from a Babur-nama (Memoirs of Babur), c. 1589; outer margins added c. mid-1900s. Basavana (Indian, active c. 1560-1600), and Madhav Khurd (Indian, active late 1500s). Opaque watercolor with gold on paper, double-sided: text on verso; page: 28 x 18.1 cm (11 x 7 1/8 in.). Twenty-one years before his conquest of Delhi, Babur took control of territories in Afghanistan, including the cities of Kabul and Ghazni. His half-brother, who controlled the region around Ghazni, ordered that a party be thrown in honor of Baburs arrival from the north. Drinking parties and feasts in lavish movable tent settings, where gifts were exchanged, alliances forged, and relationships cemented, were as important to the building of the empire as the battles.

Mûs 's Moses' staff turns into a dragon and devours pharaoh's army, fol. 82. 1580. Manuscripts. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Persian

The Annunciation, miniature from of Bishop Pallavicino, Latin Code parchment 6 8 folio verso, 15th Century.

The Flowering of Joseph's Rod, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mirat al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier, 1602-04. Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569-1627). Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; sheet: 26.2 x 15.1 cm (10 5/16 x 5 15/16 in.); image: 19.5 x 9.5 cm (7 11/16 x 3 3/4 in.). This painting illustrates a story that introduces Joseph into the narrative. When Mary came of age to wed, the high priests ordered every eligible man to bring a rod to the temple. When they prayed for a sign from God to determine which suitor was worthy, the rod belonging to Joseph burst into bloom. The painter has depicted Josephs hat on the ground as if it fell off his head in a sudden movement of surprise. The suitors in this scene are dressed as contemporary Portuguese men, but have followed the Muslim practice of removing their shoes while in the temple.

The Prophet Muhammad praying at the Kaaba by Anonymous / Private Collection/ 17th century/ Turkey/ Watercolour and ink on paper/ The Oriental Arts/ 25x15/ Bible,Mythology, Allegory and Literature

Barzû's mother tells Rustam of the lineage of her son.. 1616. Firdawsî. text. illuminated manuscripts, Illuminations, Manuscripts. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Persian

A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. A raga uses a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is constructed. However, the way the notes are approached and rendered in musical phrases and the mood they convey are more important in defining a raga than the notes themselves. In the Indian musical tradition, rāgas are associated with different times of the day, or with seasons. Rāginī (Devanagari: ागिनी) is a term for the 'feminine' counterpart or 'wife' to a rāga. The rāga-rāgini scheme dates from about the 14th century and aligns 6 'male' rāgas with 6 'wives'.

Khambavati ragini met god brahma, anonymous, c. 1690 Indian miniature. drawing The god Brahma sitting in a white temple in holy four -unit is honored by two women with gifts. Around the show a narrow white edge and a wide red edge with rounded corners. Sirohi Temple and clothing from Brahma: Paper. deck paint brush

Marriage of Aurangzeb: a) Prince meeting an elder of the Bride's party; b) Bride's Party with Dancers and Drummers, Folio from Lahori's Padshahnama. Abdul Hamid Lahori. India, Delhi, Mughal empire, circa 1800. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper

Merchants who visited islands in the Indian Ocean have seen people who looked like Turks and had yellow faces and split earlobes ... top; The alûf tree supplies the island inhabitants with leaves for their clothing and fruit to eat bottom, f. 80v. 1540 - 1545. Qazwīnī, Zakarīyā ibn Muammad, approximately 1203-1283. text. Illuminations, Manuscripts, Miniatures (Illuminations). Spencer Collection. Mountains, Birds, Animals, Manuscripts, Persian

The Queen of Rum watches the peacock burn rather than give up its eggs as the peacock flees the nest, from a Tuti-nama, Tales of a Parrot. Tutinama, Tales of a Parrot, is a series of 52 stories in Persian dating from the 14th century, in the 16th century Mughal Emperor Agbar commissioned an illustrated version, Thirty-ninth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, Court of Akbar (ruled 1556-1605) ., Historical, digitally restored reproduction from a vo

Majnun and his Uncle Salim, Page from a Khamsa of Nizami Indian. Majnun and his Uncle Salim, Page from a Khamsa of Nizami, ca. 1500. Opaque watercolor and ink on paper, sheet: 9 5/8 x 6 11/16 in. (24.4 x 17.0 cm). Asian Art ca. 1500

"Buzurgmihr Masters the Game of Chess", Folio from the First Small Shahnama (Book of Kings) ca. 1300-30 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi The text of the Shahnama has its own version of how the game of chess was introduced into Iran from India. In order to avoid paying tribute to the Sasanians, the Rajah of Hind (India) sent an envoy challenging the Iranian ruler to figure out how this game was played. The clever vizier Buzurjmihr secured the tribute for his king by solving the problem. The Iranians are dressed in Mongol costume, whereas the erudite vizier wears Arab-style tunic and turban. The Indian envoy, all alone among the Iranians as if underscoring his defeat at the game, is represented as a dark-skinned man wearing baggy clothes and a loose turban.. "Buzurgmihr Masters the Game of Chess", Folio from the First Small Shahnama (Book of Kings) 452046

"Solanki Raga", Folio from a Ragamala. Dimensions: H. 8 3/4 in. (22.3 cm)W. 10 15/16 in. (27.8 cm). Date: ca. 1590.Some of the earliest depictions of musical modes in Indian painting originated in the Deccan, at centers such as Ahmadnagar, where images like this form the visual expression of the mood and sentiment of a classical raga, or musical composition. Conceived of as family groups, the main ragas have wives (raginis) and offspring (ragaputras), which are personified in painting by an established iconography and also often accompanied by written verses. Here, seen through an arched opening, three sari-clad women meet in a flowering garden around a tree, with the raga identified as solanki, in both devanagari and Persian. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Portrait of Nushirwan the Just (verso) from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940-1019 or 1025), 1330-35. Iran, Tabriz, Ilkhanid period (1256-1353). Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper; sheet: 59.3 x 40.2 cm (23 3/8 x 15 13/16 in.); image: 24 x 22 cm (9 7/16 x 8 11/16 in.). Mongol interest in the production of illustrated manuscripts eventually focused on Persian epic poetry. The Shahnama, a compilation of the epics and tales of Iran's legendary heroes, was a natural choice; the book included many subjects that suited Mongol taste, such as banquets, battles, hunting, and magical or fantastic events. Seated on the throne in the center of the painting is the Sasanian ruler of Iran, Khusraw I Anushirwan (531-579), descendant of Bahram Gur. Above the king's head an inscription reads, "Picture of Nushirwan the Just." The figure in the elaborate turban to the left of the king is probably the young Minister Buzurgmihr, famous for his wisdom and virtue. To celebrate the explanatio

Bahram V was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia (421-438). Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur, he was a son of Yazdegerd I (399-421), after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah. The poem was illustrated in a manuscript probably produced in Lahore in the late sixteenth which is associated with the patronage of Akbar (r. 1556-1605). Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted from the woods for use. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries.

Gopis Clinging to Krishna. Master at the Court of Mandi (active circa 1710-1750). India, Himachal Pradesh, Mandi, circa 1700-1725. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor on paper

"Buzurjmihr Masters the Game of Chess", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) ca. 1330-40 Abu'l Qasim Firdausi The king of Hind sent his ambassador to Nushirvan with a game of chess, challenging the Iranians to figure out how it was played. Only the young Buzurjmihr was able to do so within the time limit. Here, he is seen seated opposite the Indian ambassador (traditionally depicted in Persian paintings as a religious mendicant, regardless of rank or calling), demonstrating the game to Nushirvan, who is enthroned in a pose identical to that of the ruler in several of the miniatures in the most accomplished illustrated manuscript of the period, the great Ilkhanid Shahnama made in Tabriz.. "Buzurjmihr Masters the Game of Chess", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) 452664

Ragini Bihag, from a Garland of Musical Modes (Ragamala)manuscript

Akbar (Urdu: جلال الدین محمد اکبر , Hindi: लालुद्दीन मुहम्मद अकबर, Jalāl ud-Dīn Muhammad Akbar), also known as Shahanshah Akbar-e-Azam or Akbar the Great (25 October 1542 - 27 October 1605), was the third Mughal Emperor. He was of Timurid descent; the son of Emperor Humayun, and the grandson of Emperor Babur, the ruler who founded the Mughal dynasty in India. At the end of his reign in 1605 the Mughal empire covered most of the northern and central India. Akbar was thirteen years old when he ascended the Mughal throne in Delhi (February 1556), following the death of his father Humayun. During his reign, he eliminated military threats from the powerful Pashtun descendants of Sher Shah Suri, and at the Second Battle of Panipat he decisively defeated the newly self-declared Hindu king Hemu. It took him nearly two more decades to consolidate his power and bring all the parts of northern and central India into his direct realm. He dominated the whole of the Indian Subcontinent and he ruled

John the Baptist recognizes Christ by the appearance of a dove, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mirat al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier, 1602-04. Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569-1627). Opaque watercolor, ink, color and gold on paper; sheet: 26.3 x 15.7 cm (10 3/8 x 6 3/16 in.); image: 22.5 x 10.9 cm (8 7/8 x 4 5/16 in.). This scene of John the Baptists recognition of Jesus is set in a lavishly decorated Mughal courtyard. The artist has closely followed Father Jeromes text, which tells of the Holy Spirit taking the form of a dove that sits atop Jesuss head, rather than the text of the Gospels, which describes the dove as hovering in the air. John wears the black robes of a Jesuit, garb that in the context of the Mughal court identifies him as a teacher. He points to an open book to acknowledge the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Messiah, and in recognition of the Word of God.

Yûsuf and the King of Egypt, fol. 59v. 1580. Manuscripts. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Persian

Kalaka with Shakra Disguised and Revealed, Leaf from a Dispersed Jain Manuscript of the Kalakacharya-katha Indian. Kalaka with Shakra Disguised and Revealed, Leaf from a Dispersed Jain Manuscript of the Kalakacharya-katha, ca. 15th century. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, sheet: 4 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (10.8 x 26.0 cm). Asian Art ca. 15th century

Bhairavi Ragini, Page from a Bundi Ragamala Set 1601-1633 Bundi. Opaque watercolor on paper .

Sindukht and Mihrab, Aziz, 'Abd ul, 1530

The Ashta-Nayika is a collective name for eight types of nayikas or heroines as classified by Bharata in his Sanskrit treatise on performing arts, the Natya Shastra. The eight nayikas represent eight different states (avastha) in relationship to her hero or nayaka. As archetypal states of the romantic heroine, it has long been used as theme in Indian painting, literature, sculpture as well as Indian classical dance.

Timur (from the Perso-Arabic Timur, ultimately from Chagatai (Middle Turkic) Temur 'iron'; 8 April 1336 18 February 1405), often known as Tamerlane (from Timur-e Lang) in English, was a fourteenth-century conqueror of Western, South and Central Asia, founder of the Timurid Empire and Timurid dynasty (1370-1405) in Central Asia, and great great grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived until 1857 as the Mughal Empire in India.

Dividing the Empire 1596, Gujarati, Bhim, 1596

The Jews of Damascus find a large jug inscribed with the Muslim profession of faith (shahâdah) and try to destroy it, but they are unsuccessful., 1594 - 1595 (Inferred), Istanbul, Manuscripts, Turkish, 19.3 x 17.4 cm

Enthroned Rama and Sita Receive Homage from their Monkey and Bear Allies, c. 1765. Northern India, Himachal Pradesh, Pahari Kingdom of Nurpur. Gum tempera and gold on paper; page: 40.7 x 28.9 cm (16 x 11 3/8 in.); image: 23.7 x 14.9 cm (9 5/16 x 5 7/8 in.). This scene is set at the end of the Hindu epic Ramayana, after Rama returns from 14 years of exile in the forest. During Ramas time of exile, Ravana abducted Ramas wife Sita. Rama gathered an army of monkeys and bears, and rescued Sita. The chiefs of the monkey and bear armies pay their respects to the reunited royal couple.

Miniature with image of hindola raga scene - scene from the life of Krishna. unknown, painter

Khwaja Shamsu d-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi, known by his pen name Hafez (1325/1326-1389/1390),was a Persian lyric poet. His collected works composed of series of Persian poetry (Divan) are to be found in the homes of most Persian speakers in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as elsewhere in the world, who learn his poems by heart and use them as proverbs and sayings to this day. His life and poems have been the subject of much analysis, commentary and interpretation, influencing post-fourteenth century Persian writing more than any other author. Themes of his ghazals are the beloved, faith, and exposing hypocrisy. His influence in the lives of Iranians can be found in 'Hafez readings', frequent use of his poems in Persian traditional music, visual art and Persian calligraphy. His tomb in Shiraz is visited often. Adaptations, imitations and translations of Hafez' poems exist in all major languages.

The young prince is crowned and the wicked maid is executed, from a Tuti-nama, Tales of a Parrot. Tutinama, Tales of a Parrot, is a series of 52 stories in Persian from the 14th century, in the 16th century Mughal Emperor Agbar commissioned an illustrated version, Eighth Night, c. 1560. Suraju (Indian) ., Historical, digitally restored reproduction from an original of the period

Qaydrûsh, the son of Qaydâfah, the queen of Andalûs, is led before the vizier Naitkun, who is disguised as Iskandar and orders his death., 1616 - 1620 (Inferred), Istanbul, Manuscripts, Turkish, 22.2 x 18.3 cm

"Buzurgmihr Masters the Game of Chess", Folio from the First Small Shahnama (Book of Kings) Author Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian ca. 1300-30 The text of the Shahnama has its own version of how the game of chess was introduced into Iran from India. In order to avoid paying tribute to the Sasanians, the Rajah of Hind (India) sent an envoy challenging the Iranian ruler to figure out how this game was played. The clever vizier Buzurjmihr secured the tribute for his king by solving the problem. The Iranians are dressed in Mongol costume, whereas the erudite vizier wears Arab-style tunic and turban. The Indian envoy, all alone among the Iranians as if underscoring his defeat at the game, is represented as a dark-skinned man wearing baggy clothes and a loose turban.

The place of Jesuss birth, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mirat al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier, 1602-04. Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569-1627). Opaque watercolor and gold on paper; page: 26.3 x 15.6 cm (10 3/8 x 6 1/8 in.). Instead of a stable, the artist has interpreted the place of Jesuss birth as an abandoned ruin. Mary is cleaning it with a peacock-feather whisk, while Joseph negotiates with a man dressed in full Mughal attire at the doorway. The camel is laden with belongings and an Indian-style bed.

A woman stands before the Qâzî and complains that her husband has been away ten years and she wants to remarry, f. 294. 1540 - 1545. Qazwīnī, Zakarīyā ibn Muammad, approximately 1203-1283. text. Illuminations, Manuscripts, Miniatures (Illuminations). Spencer Collection. Mountains, Birds, Animals, Manuscripts, Persian

Krishna Making Kubja Beautiful, Folio from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of the Lord). India, Madhya Pradesh, Malwa, circa 1645. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor on paper

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