Persian calligraphy framed by an ornamental border of flowers, birds, and deer, from the Late Shah Jahan Album
calligraphy: c. 1500–1540; border: c. 1630–40
Medium
Gum tempera, gold, and ink on paper
Dimensions
36.8 × 25.2 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Herbert F. Leisy in memory of his wife, Helen Stamp Leisy
Accession Number
1977.207
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
About 100 years after the calligraphy was completed by a Persian master and embellished with gold and floral arabesques, the small page was mounted into an album for the Mughal emperor of India. Mughal artists filled the outer border with floral vines, blooming and budding with many varieties. Pairs of birds perch throughout; male and female deer relax, listening to the birdsong. The Indian artists chose to emphasize nature’s abundance and life-giving forces, whereas the Persian artists sought t...