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Decorative Drawing

first half 15th century
Not on view
Ornamental brush drawings with lush foliage bearing a variety of human figures, animals, masks, heads, and often, though not here, mythological beasts first appeared in the Jalayrid court in the late fourteenth century. The genre flourished in the Timurid period in Herat when this drawing appears to have been made, as indicated by the figure style. The tradition later made its way to the Ottoman court in Istanbul where it continued with exceptional vigor. While all of them rely on a strongly calligraphic basis for the design, those of the Timurid period were executed with particular finesse.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Decorative Drawing
  • Date: first half 15th century
  • Geography: Attributed to present-day Afghanistan, Herat
  • Medium: Ink, watercolor, and gold on paper
  • Dimensions: H. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
    W. 4 in. (10.2 cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1941
  • Object Number: 41.46
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
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"Farhad Carves a Milk Channel for Shirin", Folio 74 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja, Nizami, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
"Farhad Carves a Milk Channel for Shirin", Folio 74 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
Multiple artists/makers
931 AH/1524–25 CE
Dragon-Handled Jug with Inscription, Brass; cast and turned, engraved, and inlaid with silver, gold, and black organic compound
Dragon-Handled Jug with Inscription
early 16th century
"The Eavesdropper", Folio 47r from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja, Maulana Azhar, Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper
"The Eavesdropper", Folio 47r from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1430
"Dancing Dervishes", Folio from a Divan of Hafiz, Hafiz Iranian, Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
"Dancing Dervishes", Folio from a Divan of Hafiz
Hafiz
Bihzad
ca. 1480
"Bahram Gur on the Chase", Folio 10r from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja, Nizami, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
"Bahram Gur on the Chase", Folio 10r from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
Nizami
Maulana Azhar
ca. 1430

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