Album Page with Decoupe Vase of Flowers, Insects, and Birds
1630–40
Medium
Gouache on black paper with colored and white decoupage
Dimensions
Folio: H. 12 5/16 in. (31.2 cm) W. 7 7/8 in. (20.1 cm) Page: H. 7 7/8 in. (20.1 cm) W. 3 7/8 in. (9.9 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Bequest of Henrie Jo Barth and Friends of Islamic Arts Gifts, 2022
Accession Number
2022.27
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite album page, created by the Safavid artist Muhammad Hasan around 1630–40, showcases a vibrant decoupage vase overflowing with flowers, insects, and birds. Rendered in gouache on black paper with cut colored and white paper elements, the composition bursts with life against its dark ground, creating a luminous, jewel-like effect. The precise dimensions—folio 12 5/16 × 7 7/8 inches—reflect its origin as a portable treasure from a muraqqa', or album, a cherished Safavid format for collecting fine calligraphy, paintings, and decorative folios. Decoupage, a hallmark technique of Pers...