Portrait of Muhammad Khan Shaibani, the Uzbek (d.1510)
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
Painting: H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm) W. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm) Page: H. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm) W. 5 in. (12.7 cm) Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm) W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Cora Timken Burnett Collection of Persian Miniatures and Other Persian Art Objects, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956
Accession Number
57.51.29
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate 16th-century portrait captures Muhammad Khan Shaibani, the formidable Uzbek leader who founded the Shaybanid dynasty and reshaped Central Asian politics before his death in 1510. Rendered in opaque watercolor and gold on paper, the miniature likely once belonged to an illustrated manuscript or album, a format prized in Persian and Central Asian courts for preserving the likenesses of rulers and notables. The inclusion of writing implements among the tags suggests the figure is shown as both warrior and patron of learning, reflecting the dual ideals of leadership in the Islamic wo...