Miniatures and Manuscript Art

Historical miniatures and illustrations from Persian and Indian manuscripts, depicting courtly scenes, figures, and nature, enriched with intricate details and vibrant colors.

Painting from 17th century Persian manuscript Hunting party preparing to set out

Indian Mughal miniature depicting a young ascetic in front of a pavilion guarded by a leopard. Rajasthan school; Album of Ragamala 19th century

Escapade at Night: ca. 1800-10 Attributed to Chokha Indian A nobleman ascends a rope to visit his lover, who reclines within the palaces defended walls. The clandestine tryst is a theme that runs through the poetry of this period, and certainly the tension of this forbidden act would have appealed to royal tastes. Presenting this scene in the somber tones of night is an innovation of the artist Chokha, who followed his father, Bagta, as the major Mewar painter during this period. Chokha gives the painting a sense of drama by juxtaposing the quietude of the sleeping cows and guards with the brightly colored protagonists and a roiling band of black thunderclouds.. Escapade at Night: 73261

Indian armed cavalryman by Indian Art / Private Collection / c. 1500 / India, Mughal school / Gouache on paper / Genre,History / 20,3x14

Raja Jagat Singh of Kota. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Date: ca. 1670-1675. Origin: Kota, Rajasthan state, India. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Painting in Galata Tower, Istanbul, Turkey

Courtiers visiting a hermit. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1690 - 1699. Measurements: h 169 mm × w 112 mm; h 295 mm × w 208 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Royal Reception in a Landscape, right folio from the double frontispiece of a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (Persian, about 940-1019 or 1025) (verso), 1444. Iran, Shiraz, Timurid period (1370-1501). Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper; image: 26.3 x 20.7 cm (10 3/8 x 8 1/8 in.); overall: 32.5 x 22.1 cm (12 13/16 x 8 11/16 in.). The painting on the verso of this folio is the first half of a double-page frontispiece now detached from a Shah-nama manuscript (see CMA 1956.10 for the second half of the frontispiece). The scene does not illustrate a narrative from the Shah-nama, but is likely a representation of the courtly audience for whose entertainment the manuscript was created. The date and style of the painting indicate that it was made during the reign of the Timurid dynasty in Shiraz, Iran.

MUSEO-MINIATURA-ACUERDO DE MAHOMA CON MEDINA - S XVI. Location: PALACIO TOPKAPI-BIBLIOTECA. ISTANBUL. TURQUIA.

recto: "Portrait of Prince Danyal", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album Painting by Manohar Calligrapher Sultan 'Ali al-Mashhadi Iranian recto: late 16th century; verso: ca. 1500 Verso: This richly illuminated folio of calligraphy features the work of the preeminent Timurid calligrapher, Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi. Patronized by the Timurid court, Mashhadi was a poet and a recognized master of the nasta'liq script. In the following poem, composed by Khwaja Salman al-Savuji, he writes:Coil up in your own tressAnd then ask how I am,How those are whom the snareOf your affliction broke:You want to know how allThose broken lovers fare-Then ask me first, for IAm the most broken one.This love poem belongs to a larger tradition of mystical poetry in which the lover longs for the unattainable object of his affections. His lover's tresses ensnare him and, hopelessly caught, the poet mourns his plight.

Portrait of Shah Jahan Padshah, the son of Jihangir, who ruled after his father in Hindustan, c. 1686 drawing. Indian miniature Shah Jahan Padshah, with white beard, is depicted up to his hips, used to the right, with a sword in the right hand and a flower in the left hand. Page 5 in the `Witsen-Album ', with 49 Indian miniatures of princes. Above the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Persian. Under the portrait a piece of paper with the name in the Portuguese. Golkonda paper. deck paint. gold leaf. gouache (paint) brush ruler, sovereign. historical person (...) - historical person (...) portrayed alone

The tale of the three men trapped in a cave by a rolling boulder, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556-1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20 x 13.3 cm (7 7/8 x 5 1/4 in.); painting only: 11.1 x 10.2 cm (4 3/8 x 4 in.). Three men kneel in the bowels of a dark cave where they have been trapped while seeking hidden treasure. Fearful and desperate, they suddenly hear a disembodied voice that orders them to confess their transgressions. As each man speaks, a portion of the boulder disappears, and they are ultimately freed.

A woman sitting on a throne being carried by a mythical creature shaped like a camel but formed by a variety of different animals. Gouache painting by an Indian painter.

The Battle of Iskandar with the Zanj (From a Manuscript of the Khamsa of Nizami) by Iranian master / Private Collection / 1540-1545 / Iran, Safavid dynasty / Gouache on paper / Mythology, Allegory and Literature,History / 28,5x18,2

Man en vrouw op een troon in een tuin, voor hen twee musici en drie dienaressen. Vijf illustraties van Kamsa door Nizami met tekst (series title). Draughtsman: anonymous. Designer: anonymous. Dating: 1500 - 1600. Place: Persia. Measurements: h 187 mm × w 130 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Courtings visiting a hermit, anonymous, 1690 - 1699 Indian miniature. drawing An old hermit is sitting on a tiger sheet for a rock hole that serves him as a home. He holds a prayer cord in the right hand. A student waves him coolness with a fan of peacock springs. Two courtiers have established themselves in front of the recluse. One is struggling on a string instrument, the other claps the hands together. The bright-blue and purple painted, gnarled rocks stand out sharply against the golden background, which goes up in blue and golden sweeping. paper brush

Wit gekalligrafeerde tekst op hemelsblauwe wolkjes.White circular text on heavenly blue clouds against a background of a golden field with colored floral motifs, vertically sinked in dark blue with golden tendrils; The upper part of the calligraphy is stuck separately and largely disappeared. Along the (damaged) text sheet, narrow strips with frame lines are stuck and thereby the residual part of the leaf with floral motifs in gold surrounded by light brown tendrils against a heavenly blue background.

In an audience window a young woman is sitting with a glass in her uplifted right hand, in her left hand resting on the robe she is holding a bottle, on, or rather diagonally and halfway next to her head, a dashing plumed red hat, the upper surface of the representation consists of a pair of bright horizontal bands. Around the representation a narrow black border with yellow frame lines, around it a wider dark blue border with white frame lines and above and below a red frame line, the vertical edges are narrower than the horizontal., Girl with a red hat, draughtsman: anonymous, India, 1830 - 1850, paper, brush, h 202 mm × w 105 mm, h 172 mm × w 90 mm

Rustam lifts Shangul from his saddle on his lance., 1616 - 1620 (Inferred), Istanbul, Manuscripts Turkish, 22.2 x 18.4 cm

Miniature from the Book of Felicity (Matali el saadet) by Seyyid Mohammed ibn Emir Hasan el-Suudi, Anonymous

Rustam's Sixth Feat: he kills the dîv Arzhang.. 1616. Firdawsî. text. illuminated manuscripts, Illuminations, Manuscripts. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Persian

In a quiet green landscape stands a tree with a swing on which a young woman is sitting, her head turned to the right, where a young standing woman is clapping her hands, also on the left a woman clapping her hands and a woman behind her. The leaf is stuck on a piece of cardboard, piping and frame lines are partly cut away, the edges are slightly damaged., Swinging lady, draughtsman: anonymous, Shorapur, 1740 - 1760, paper, brush, brush, h 203 mm × w 145 mm

Aquatic Scene with Three Men in a Gondola late 16th-early 17th century This curious painting, perhaps created as a single-leaf composition destined for the album of a collector, depicts three figures in a gondola against an architectural backdrop based on the Isola di San Giorgio in Venice. The entire scene may be taken from an Italian engraving, as the landing stage in the foreground is an accurate depiction of a Venetian structure; yet the mountains in the background are an artistic fantasy. Depictions of Venice occur frequently in Ottoman maritime atlases, and Ottoman merchants were a constant presence in Venice, housed in the seventeenth century in the building on the Grand Canal today known as the Fondaco dei Turchi.. Aquatic Scene with Three Men in a Gondola 453251

Illustration. Date/Period: 1600 - 1700. Illustration. Height: 290 mm (11.41 in); Width: 195 mm (7.67 in). Author: Iran Unknown.

In the middle a prince sits on an octagonal golden throne with red cushions and gets a cup from a lady on the right, two ladies on the left stand ready with other gifts and in the background behind the throne a servant stands ready, in the foreground in front of the throne are even more gifts and the slippers of the prince, graceful tree branches, plants and birds against a light colored sky complete the whole. The depiction is framed by wide colored edges in from inside to outside - orange, sea green, beige and a very wide dark green edge speckled with gold paint., Prince with three ladies, maker: anonymous, Golkonda, c. 1675 - c. 1685, paper, brush, h 170 mm × w 113 mm, h 408 mm × w 310 mm

Harem Night-Bathing Scene (recto): Calligraphy Framed by an Ornamental Border of Flowers and Birds (verso), c. 1650. India, Mughal Dynasty (1526-1756), 17th Century. Ink and color on paper; overall: 37.8 x 27.6 cm (14 7/8 x 10 7/8 in.); painting only: 19.4 x 14.1 cm (7 5/8 x 5 9/16 in.).

Flight of Sultan Bahadur During Humayun's Campaign in Gujarat in 1535, Folio from an Akbarnama (History of Akbar). Manre Royale d'AubussonDharmdas (India, active 1580-1610). Pakistan, Lahore, Mughal empire, circa 1590. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper

Mevlana giving his belt to a beggar, Ottoman miniature from Mevlana Rumi's Memoirs (The Bright Stars of Legendary Life Stories) by Sevakib-I Menakib, manuscript, Turkey 16th Century.

Krishna Overturning the Cart, anonymous, c. 1520 - c. 1530 Indian miniature The Kleine Krishna throws the car upside down with all pots. The car falls into pieces and the pots break (right). Rajasthan (possibly) paper. gouache (paint) brush

Young bare-breasted Indian woman in transparent dress and veil pulling down branches toward a young gazelle. Giovanetta indiana. From an Indian miniature. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Corsi after Giulio Ferrario in his Costumes Ancient and Modern of the Peoples of the World, Il Costume Antico e Moderno, Florence, 1833.

Lovers on a terrace. Date: late 18th century. Origin: India. Period: Mughal dynasty. Color and gold on paper. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Sleeping warrior next to a cornfield. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1500 - 1700. Place: Iran. Measurements: h 210 mm × w 123 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

The cat attacks the mice which disturb the lion, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifteenth Night, c. 1560. India, Mughal court, 16th century. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20 x 14 cm (7 7/8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 8.9 x 10.1 cm (3 1/2 x 4 in.).

Couple drinking. Chehel Sotun Mural, 16th cent. Isfahan. IRAN.

Iskander with a sage and a horse. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1490 - 1510. Place: Kashmir. Measurements: h 244 mm × w 172 mm; h 194 mm × w 129 mm; h 57 mm × w 71 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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.

Beauty Holding a Flower. India. Date: 1640-1660. Dimensions: Image: 15.4 x 8.6 cm (6 1/6 x 3 3/8 in.); Outermost border: 19.1 x 12. 2 cm (7 1/2 x 4 13/16 in.); Paper: 27.6 x 17 cm ( 10 7/8 x 6 11/16 in.). Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper. Origin: India. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA. Author: Mughal.

A Deer Hunting At Night. Date: early 18th century. Origin: India. Period: Mughal dynasty. Color and gold on paper. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Portrait of Daya Datta, Raja of Nurpur. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1720. Place: Nurpur. Measurements: h 199 mm × w 113 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Portrait of a Prince. Date: 18th century. Origin: India. Period: Mughal dynasty. Color and gold on paper. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

A woman with a calf under her right arm in a garden with flowering shrubs and cypresses. In her left hand she is holding a flower, Girl holding a Calf., draughtsman: anonymous, Bidar, (possibly), 1700 - 1750, paper, brush, h 246 mm × w 153 mm

Folio from a "Shahnameh": A King and a Visitor with Attendants Folio from a "Shahnameh": A King and a Visitor with Attendants, late 15th-early 16th century. Ink and opaque watercolor on paper, 9 1/2 x 5 7/16in. (24.1 x 13.8cm). Arts of the Islamic World late 15th-early 16th century

persian 15th century persian illustration showing hand to hand fighting

Tent of the Safavid's Turkish ambassador, 16th century, ms 1517 p 274A, Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Perennial Performance in Paradise. India, Rajasthan, Jaipur (), circa 1825-1850. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Woman with a Peacock. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1795 - 1805. Place: Nurpur. Measurements: h 183 mm × w 130 mm; h 202 mm × w 147 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Ardashir Feeds Molten Metal to Haftvad the Worm, Page from a Manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdawsi. Iran, Shiraz, circa 1485-95. Manuscripts; folios. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Woman Under a Willow and Calligraphy Panel (Double-sided Painting) Woman Under a Willow and Calligraphy Panel (Double-sided Painting), ca. 1665-1675. Ink on paper with newly added corner illuminations, 7 1/2 x 3 3/4 in. (19.1 x 9.5 cm). Asian Art ca. 1665-1675

Lorenzo de' Medici, Lorenzo the Magnificent, on horseback as Caspar the Magus, Procession of the Youngest King, west wall, Fresco cycle, The Procession of the Magi, Benozzo Gozzoli, circa 1459, Capella dei Magi, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence, Tuscany, Italy, Europe

Jahangir Watching an Elephant Fight. Dimensions: 18 1/2 x 12 7/8in. (47 x 32.7cm)Mat: H. 22 1/4 in. (56.5 cm) W. 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm). Date: ca. 1605.Elephants were prized for their strength and power in Mughal India, where they were used for hunting, military campaigns, and sport. In this work painted by Farrukh Chela, two mounted men control the elephants, which are adorned with gold chains, as they fight before an audience. Servants standing to the right watch as one of the riders drops his ankush (a metal rod used to control elephants). They hold fireworks on poles, prepared to help direct the elephant if necessary. Wearing rich gold and deep colors, Emperor Jahangir appears on horseback in the foreground. The margins of this page were added later, when the painting was inserted into an album shortly after Nadir Shah took control of Delhi in 1739. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Garden Scene Made 1450-1480 Herat. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper . Islamic

A Mughal courtier, c. 1575; border added probably 1700s. India, Mughal, 16th century. Opaque watercolor with gold on paper, mounted with gold-sprinkled borders;

"Portrait of the Russian Ambassador, Prince Andrey Priklonskiy", Folio from the Davis Album dated A.H. 1048/A.D. 1673-74 Painting by 'Ali Quli Jabbadar This portrait from the Davis Album is one of several similar works depicting the same subject. From the velvet vest and furred collar and cap, the sitter can be identified as a Russian dignitary. In 1673, as the silk trade was growing between Iran and Russia, Czar Aleksey Mikhailovich sent Prince Andrey Priklonskiy as his ambassador to the court of Shah Sulaiman of Iran. Elements of the Indo-Persian style are evident in the gilt border of flowering grape vines, while the naturalistic rendering of brightly colored plants in the outer border reflects the European impact on Safavid painting in the latter half of the seventeenth century. A later copy of this portrait, falsely ascribed to 'Ali Quli Jabbadar and dated 1716, reveals the lasting impact of this embassy and its recording by a leading artist at the court of Shah Sulaiman.. "Portra

Kalakacharya Turns Bricks Into Gold for the Shahi Princes, folio 25 from a Dispersed KalpaSutra, ca1465, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, sheet: 4 3/8 × 11 3/8 in. (11.1 × 28.9cm), India, Indian, Gujarat sultanate(1407-1573), Works on Paper -Manuscripts

"The Monkey Escapes to the Safety of the Fig Tree", Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna. Dimensions: 12.5 in. high 8.87 in. wide (31.8 cm high 22.6 cm wide). Date: 18th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Calligraphy in Nastaliq script in a frame of colored spatulas. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1600 - 1699. Place: Iran. Measurements: h 42.5 cm × w 60 cm; h 191 mm × w 117 mm; h 354 mm × w 235 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

"Diana, Goddess of the Hunt", Folio from the Davis Album early 17th century Attributed to 'Ali Quli Jabbadar Diana, Roman goddess of wild animals and the hunt, is popularly depicted in western art with a hound or a deer and holding a bow and arrow. Here, she bears a tall spear with a hound at her side. Based on a European print the work can be attributed to the Isfahan painter Ali Quli Jabbadar whose distinctive palette and stippled brushwork is seen.. "Diana, Goddess of the Hunt", Folio from the Davis Album 448483

The Heroine Who Waits Anxiously for Her Absent Lover: Utka Nayika, c. 1760-1765. Northern India, Himachal Pradesh, Pahari Kingdom of Chamba. Gum tempera and gold on paper; page: 26.3 x 17.8 cm (10 3/8 x 7 in.); image: 25.2 x 16.6 cm (9 15/16 x 6 9/16 in.). In the hilly and verdant landscape all around her, birds and animals are all in pairseven many of the trees have doublesbut she remains alone, waiting on a bed of leaves for her lover to arrive. She has no way of knowing when he will come, like the devotee has no way to know when god will arrive and bring salvation and bliss.

Couple Playing Chaupar on a Terrace, c. 1790-1800. India, Pahari, Kangra school, late 18th Century. Drawing with red ochre underdrawing; overall: 19.4 x 13.2 cm (7 5/8 x 5 3/16 in.).

Portrait of a Prince Indian. Portrait of a Prince, late 17th century. Opaque watercolor on paper, sheet: 5 13/16 x 3 15/16 in. (14.8 x 10.0 cm). Asian Art late 17th century

Textile, Altar Frontal. Culture: French or Italian. Dimensions: Overall: 48 1/2 x 108 in. (123.2 x 274.3 cm). Date: ca. 1500. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Page of Calligraphy with Stenciled and Painted Borders from a Subhat al-Abrar (Rosary of the Devout) of Jami. Author: Maulana Nur al-Din `Abd al-Rahman Jami (1414-92). Calligrapher: Sultan `Ali Mashhadi (ca.1440-1520). Dimensions: Overall page: H. 12 11/16 in. (32.2 cm) W. 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm)Border: H. 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm) W. 6 5/16 in. (16 cm)Text: H. 8 in. (20.3 cm)W. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm). Date: text, ca. 1500; borders, first quarter 17th century.According to the manuscript's title page, the main text of this folio is from the Panj Ganj (The Five Treasures) of Jami. The calligrapher Sultan Ali Mashhadi completed the text, including both the main section and the diagonal writing, in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, but the border of this work and the three small paintings of holy men were added at a later date. The complete folio was originally owned by Abd al-Rahim, a military commander who served under the Mughal emperors Akbar and Jahangir. When it entered the col

LAMINA INDIA - HOMBRE INDIO EN EL CAMPO MIENTRAS SU CONCUBINA RECOJE AGUA - SIGLO XIX. Location: PRIVATE COLLECTION. MADRID. SPAIN.

The Witsen Album with 49 miniatures of rulers. Witsens collection included this album of portraits of successive rulers of the Mughal dynasty. For Witsen, the portraits were a source of knowledge about Indias history. He even had the Persian inscriptions translated by Hendrick Francken, a Protestant minister who had beenposted in Smyrna (now Izmir) for many years. The little portraits were made in Golconda, where Indian miniaturists worked especially for the Europeans who were stationed there because of the textile trade.

Embracing Couple Indian. , ca. 1725-1730. Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper, sheet: 11 3/8 x 8 3/16 in. (28.9 x 20.8 cm). Asian Art ca. 1725-1730

Mexican country life, folk art on wooden sheet, 20th century

Unidentified Scene from a Shahnama (Book of Kings). Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935-1020). Dimensions: overalL. 14 x 9 9/16in. (35.6 x 24.3cm) Dimensions of painting: 9 1/4 x 5 1/2in. (23.5 x 14cm). Date: late 19th-early 20th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Jahangir sitting under a canopy on a terrace. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: c. 1615. Place: Deccan. Measurements: h 170 mm × w 215 mm. Museum: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram Shah Jahan I (1592 -1666), or Shah Jahan, from the Persian meaning 'king of the world', was the fifth Mughal ruler in India and a favourite of his legendary grandfather Akbar the Great. He is best known for commissioning the 'Phadshahnamah' as a chronicle of his reign, and for the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Under Shah Jahan, the Mughal Empire attained its highest union of strength and magnificence. The opulence of Shah Jahan's court and his famous Peacock Throne was the wonder of all the European travelers and ambassadors. His political efforts encouraged the emergence of large centers of commerce and crafts such as Lahore, Delhi, Agra and Ahmedabad linked by roads and waterways to distant places and ports. He moved the capital from Agra to Delhi. Under Shah Jahan's rule, the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi were built, the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, sections of the Lahore Fort and his father's mausoleum.

Fresco in Poddar haveli, Nawalgarh, Shekhavati, Rajasthan, India Copyright: xPxMistry/DinodiaxPhotox

Jahangir sitting under a canopy on a terrace, anonymous, c. 1615 drawing. Indian miniature The Mughal Keizer Jahangir sitting under a canopy on a terrace, in the company of Prince Khurram and a falconer. Deccan paper. deck paint. gouache (paint) brush

A Young Prince on Horseback. India; Rajasthan, Jodhpur. Date: 1695-1705. Dimensions: Image: 20 x 13.7 cm (I7 7/8 x 5 3/8 in.); Outermost border: 39.9 x 26.8 cm (15 3/4 x 10 1/2 in.); Paper: 42 x 29.2 cm (16 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.). Opaque watercolor and gold on paper. Origin: India. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Sultan Suleyman I (1494-1566), also known as 'Suleyman the Magnificent' and 'Suleyman the Lawmaker', was the 10th and longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman empire. He personally led his armies to conquer Transylvania, the Caspian, much of the Middle East and the Maghreb. His admiral, Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa, known as 'Barbarossa' or 'Red Beard', commanded a fleet of galleys that dominated the Mediterranean as far as Spain for years. In this painting, Suleyman is seated on the left while an aging Barbarossa sits on a lower seat and is depicted with a white beard.

The mother parrot warns her young of the danger of playing with foxes, 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. Dasavanta (Indian) (d. 1584) ., Historical, digitally restored reproduction from an original of the period

Bahadur Khan II 1811 - 1840 Junagadh Gujarat India Copyright: xDilipxRajgor/DinodiaxPhotox

Sample of Persian Calligraphy from a Mughal Album Ali Haravi. Sample of Persian Calligraphy from a Mughal Album, 16th century; margins 17th century. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, image: 7 13/16 x 3 14/16 in. (19.8 x 9.7 cm). Set against a gilded background, two couplets of romantic poetry appear in the elegant nastaʿlīq script. The face of the beloved, considered the reflection of divine love, is fittingly compared to a bright moon and admired for its beauty: Your face is flushed [and has become [like a bright moon; you have exalted your stature [and have become the envy of the [tall cypress.” A signature identifying the lowly scribe, ʿAli” may refer to the talented sixteenth-century calligrapher Mir ʿAli al-Husayni al-Katib al-Haravi, also known as Mir ʿAli. The calligraphy was mounted on a seventeenth-century Indian album page decorated with flora and fauna in a Europeanizing style typical of the Mughal artistic tradition. It is possible that the folio, like the p

Portrait of a Woman Standing Portrait of a Woman Standing, last half 16th century. Gouache colors and gold on brown rag paper, 4 1/8 x 6 5/8 in. (10.5 x 16.9 cm). Arts of the Islamic World last half 16th century

Gaudi Ragini, page from a Ragamala series, c. 1780 - 1800. India, Rajasthan, possibly Raghugarh school, late 18th Century. Ink and color on paper; overall: 20.3 x 11 cm (8 x 4 5/16 in.).

A Bejewelled Maiden with a Parakeet. Dimensions: Image:H. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)W. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm). Date: ca. 1670-1700.This young beauty seen through a cusped arch has been idealized as the daughter of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The convention of a woman holding a parakeet is seen in Deccan painting and textiles and is also known from a long standing tradition in Indian sculpture; here the prominent use of gold is typical of Deccan taste. The bird sits on the maiden's henna-reddened fingers, each one of which is separately adorned by a diamond ring. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Rustam kills Suhrâb.. 1616. Firdawsî. text. illuminated manuscripts, Illuminations, Manuscripts. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Persian

Portrait of Timur, also called Tamerlan, c. 1686 drawing. Indian miniature Tamerlan (1336-1405) is depicted up to his waist, half to the left, with a helmet on his head, a lance in his right hand and his left hand rest on the balustrade. Page 1a in the `Witsen-Album ', with 49 Indian miniatures of princes. Above the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Persian. Under the portrait a piece of paper with the name in the Portuguese. Golkonda paper. deck paint. gold leaf. gouache (paint) brush ruler, sovereign. historical person (...) - historical person (...) portrayed alone

Lady after a Bath, 1700s. India, Mughal, 18th century. image: 12.6 x 7.1 cm (4 15/16 x 2 13/16 in.).

Kay Khusrau kills Shîdah.. 1616. Firdawsî. text. illuminated manuscripts, Illuminations, Manuscripts. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Persian

Portrait of Fath Jang Khan, De Grootvizier van Aurangzeb, c. 1686 drawing. Indian miniature Fath Jang Khan is depicted up to his hips, used to half to the right, with a cloth in the right hand. Page 2 in the `Witsen-Album ', with 49 Indian miniatures of princes. Above the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Persian. Under the portrait a piece of paper with the name in the Portuguese. Golkonda paper. deck paint. gold leaf. gouache (paint) brush ruler, sovereign. historical person (...) - historical person (...) portrayed alone

The Battle Preceding the Capture of the Fort at Bundi, Rajasthan, in 1577 by Tulsi Kalan (c. 1560-1600) / Victoria and Albert Museum / The Oriental Arts / 1592-1594 / India, Mughal school / Watercolour, ink, gold colour on paper / Mythology, Allegory and

Radha and Krishna's Reconciliation , c. 1790-1800. India, Pahari, Kangra school, late 18th Century. Drawing with slight color; overall: 18.3 x 14 cm (7 3/16 x 5 1/2 in.).

Mughal princess Mumtaz Mahal miniature painting

Boat Carrying Captives from Nubia, Tomb of Huy. Artist: Charles K. Wilkinson ca, 1926-1927. Dimensions: Facsimile: H. 32 × W. 71 cm (12 5/8 × 27 15/16 in.); Framed: H. 34 × W. 72.4 cm (13 3/8 × 28 1/2 in.); Scale. 1:1. Dynasty: Dynasty 18. Reign: reign of Akhenaten-Tutankhamun. Date: ca. 1353-1327 B.C..This facsimile painting copies a scene in the tomb of Amenhotep Huy (TT 40) at Thebes. Other parts of this scene are depicted in 30.4.18 and 30.4.19. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Portrait of Nawah General Firoz Khan, early 18th century, 7 7/8 x 6 3/8 in. (20 x 16.19 cm), Opaque watercolors and gold on paper, India, 18th century, This finely executed portrait of General Firoz Khan, a seventeenth century nobleman and member of the Golkonda court in the Deccan, demonstrates that Persian-inspired painting flourished at Golkonda before the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb finally conquered it in 1687. The rulers of the Deccan plateau were Muslim, like the Mughals, but whereas the Mughals were Sunnis and influenced by eastern Iranian and Central Asian painting, the sultans of the Deccan were Shi'as and more influenced by Safavid and Arab culture. The preference for fine detail, polished surface, and decorative floral borders evident here demonstrates considerable Persian influence. Following the military campaigns of Aurangzeb, Mughal artists found their way to central Indian courts and perpetuated Muslim-inspired painting through the eighteenth century.

Portrait of Sultan Mahmud, son of Ibrahim Adil-Shah; After his father, he was a ruler of Bijapur, c. 1686 drawing. Indian miniature Sultan Mahmud is depicted up to his hips, used to the left, with a sword in his left hand, in his right hand a flower and a shield on his left side. Page 40 in the `Witsen-Album ', with 49 Indian miniatures of princes. Above the portrait a piece of paper with the name in Persian. Under the portrait a piece of paper with the name in the Portuguese. Golkonda paper. deck paint. gold leaf. gouache (paint) brush ruler, sovereign. historical person (...) - historical person (...) portrayed alone

Kamodani Ragini, Page from a Dispersed Ragamala Series Indian. Kamodani Ragini, Page from a Dispersed Ragamala Series, ca. 1800. Opaque watercolor on paper, sheet: 12 x 8 1/4 in. (30.5 x 21.0 cm). Asian Art ca. 1800

Depiction of an erotic scene, love scene, sex, in a 19th century edition of the Kama Sutra, textbooks on eroticism, India, Arabia, Historical, digitally restored reproduction of an original from the period, Asia

Ahmad Shah Durrani (1722-1772), also known as Ahmad Khan Abdali, was an Afghan ruler and king who founded the Durrani Empire, regarded by many as the founder of modern Afghanistan.

Artist: Hyderabad School, Portrait of an UnidentifiedCourtier, 18thcentury, Opaque watercolor and gold on paper, 5 5/8 × 8 1/4 in. (14.3 × 21 cm), Made in Hyderabad, Deccan, India, Indian, Islamic,Deccan, India, Mughal dynasty(1526-1857), Paintings

Emperor Jahangir (reigned 1605-1627) and Empress Nur Jahan in Union. Nepal, circa 1830. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper

Ferangis Returns to Iran with Giv and Her Son, Kai Khusrau, from a "Shahnameh" of Firdausi Ferangis Returns to Iran with Giv and Her Son, Kai Khusrau, from a "Shahnameh" of Firdausi, late 15th-early 16th century. Ink, opaque watercolors, and gold on paper, 9 1/2 x 5 7/16 in. Arts of the Islamic World late 15th-early 16th century

Shâhnâmah = The Book of Kings. p. 253.. 1616. Firdawsî. text. illuminated manuscripts, Illuminations, Manuscripts. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Persian

Drunken Son of a Cobbler Mounted on Bahram Gur's Lion, Folio from an Illustrated Shahnama Manuscript Drunken Son of a Cobbler Mounted on Bahram Gur's Lion, Folio from an Illustrated Shahnama Manuscript, ca. 1480-1490. Ink and opaque watercolors on paper, Sheet: 12 x 8 in. Arts of the Islamic World ca. 1480-1490

Bound Manuscript of the Khamsa of Nizami Nizami. Bound Manuscript of the Khamsa of Nizami, late 16th century. Ink, opaque watercolor, pasteboard, leather, gold on paper, 8 1/4 x 13 3/8 in. (21 x 34 cm). Arts of the Islamic World late 16th century

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