Metropolitan Museum V

Calligraphic Galleon dated A.H. 1180/ A.D. 1766–67 Object Details Title: Calligraphic Galleon Calligrapher: 'Abd al-Qadir Hisari Date: dated A.H. 1180/ A.D. 1766–67 Geography: Made in Turkey Medium: Ink and gold on paper Dimensions: H. 19 in. (48.3 cm) W. 17 in. (43.2 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Louis E. and Theresa S. Seley Purchase Fund for Islamic Art and Rogers Fund, 2003 Accession Number: 2003.241 The hull of this sailing ship comprises the names of the Seven Sleepers and their dog. The tale of the Seven Sleepers, found in pre-Islamic Christian sources, concerns a group of men who sleep for centuries within a cave, protected by God from religious persecution. Both hadith (sayings of the Prophet), and tafsir (commentaries on the Qur'an) suggest that these verses from the Qur'an have protective qualities. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454611

Calligraphic Galleon dated A.H. 1180/ A.D. 1766–67 Object Details Title: Calligraphic Galleon Calligrapher: 'Abd al-Qadir Hisari Date: dated A.H. 1180/ A.D. 1766–67 Geography: Made in Turkey Medium: Ink and gold on paper Dimensions: H. 19 in. (48.3 cm) W. 17 in. (43.2 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Louis E. and Theresa S. Seley Purchase Fund for Islamic Art and Rogers Fund, 2003 Accession Number: 2003.241 The hull of this sailing ship comprises the names of the Seven Sleepers and their dog. The tale of the Seven Sleepers, found in pre-Islamic Christian sources, concerns a group of men who sleep for centuries within a cave, protected by God from religious persecution. Both hadith (sayings of the Prophet), and tafsir (commentaries on the Qur'an) suggest that these verses from the Qur'an have protective qualities. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454611

Calligraphic Galleon dated A.H. 1180/ A.D. 1766–67 Object Details Title: Calligraphic Galleon Calligrapher: 'Abd al-Qadir Hisari Date: dated A.H. 1180/ A.D. 1766–67 Geography: Made in Turkey Medium: Ink and gold on paper Dimensions: H. 19 in. (48.3 cm) W. 17 in. (43.2 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Louis E. and Theresa S. Seley Purchase Fund for Islamic Art and Rogers Fund, 2003 Accession Number: 2003.241 The hull of this sailing ship comprises the names of the Seven Sleepers and their dog. The tale of the Seven Sleepers, found in pre-Islamic Christian sources, concerns a group of men who sleep for centuries within a cave, protected by God from religious persecution. Both hadith (sayings of the Prophet), and tafsir (commentaries on the Qur'an) suggest that these verses from the Qur'an have protective qualities. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454611

Pair of Minbar Doors ca. 1325–30 Object Details Title: Pair of Minbar Doors Date: ca. 1325–30 Geography: Attributed to Egypt, Cairo Medium: Wood (rosewood and mulberry); carved, inlaid with carved ivory, ebony, and other woods Dimensions: H. 77 1/4 in. (196.2 cm) W. 35 in. (88.9 cm) D. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) Object encased in weighted freestanding mount. Estimated Wt of piece: 80- 120 lbs. Classification: Wood Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891 Accession Number: 91.1.2064 A minbar, or pulpit, consists of a podium reached by stairs with doors such as these at its base. It is used in mosques by imams, prayer leaders, to deliver the sermon at the main service of the week, at noon on Friday. These doors, with the intricate geometric inlay typical of the Mamluk period, are thought to come from the fourteenth‑century mosque of Saif al‑Din Qawsun in Cairo. They were one of the earliest bequests to the Museum, donated by Edward C. Moore, a designer at Tiffany and Co. who was inspired by Islamic art. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/444812

Pair of Minbar Doors ca. 1325–30 Object Details Title: Pair of Minbar Doors Date: ca. 1325–30 Geography: Attributed to Egypt, Cairo Medium: Wood (rosewood and mulberry); carved, inlaid with carved ivory, ebony, and other woods Dimensions: H. 77 1/4 in. (196.2 cm) W. 35 in. (88.9 cm) D. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) Object encased in weighted freestanding mount. Estimated Wt of piece: 80- 120 lbs. Classification: Wood Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891 Accession Number: 91.1.2064 A minbar, or pulpit, consists of a podium reached by stairs with doors such as these at its base. It is used in mosques by imams, prayer leaders, to deliver the sermon at the main service of the week, at noon on Friday. These doors, with the intricate geometric inlay typical of the Mamluk period, are thought to come from the fourteenth‑century mosque of Saif al‑Din Qawsun in Cairo. They were one of the earliest bequests to the Museum, donated by Edward C. Moore, a designer at Tiffany and Co. who was inspired by Islamic art. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/444812

Figure of Harpy 12th–early 13th century Object Details Title: Figure of Harpy Date: 12th–early 13th century Geography: Made in Iran Medium: Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque white glaze, molded and applied decoration Dimensions: H. 25 1/4 in. (64.1 cm) L. 22 in. (55.9 cm) Classification: Ceramics Credit Line: Cora Timken Burnett Collection of Persian Miniatures and Other Persian Art Objects, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956 Accession Number: 57.51.1 The harpy, or fantastic human-headed bird, was a common motif in many parts of the Muslim world. In Iran it was adapted in the twelfth century as a motif on wares in a variety of media. This example is unusual for its large size. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451390

Figure of Harpy 12th–early 13th century Object Details Title: Figure of Harpy Date: 12th–early 13th century Geography: Made in Iran Medium: Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque white glaze, molded and applied decoration Dimensions: H. 25 1/4 in. (64.1 cm) L. 22 in. (55.9 cm) Classification: Ceramics Credit Line: Cora Timken Burnett Collection of Persian Miniatures and Other Persian Art Objects, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956 Accession Number: 57.51.1 The harpy, or fantastic human-headed bird, was a common motif in many parts of the Muslim world. In Iran it was adapted in the twelfth century as a motif on wares in a variety of media. This example is unusual for its large size. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451390

Figure of Harpy 12th–early 13th century Object Details Title: Figure of Harpy Date: 12th–early 13th century Geography: Made in Iran Medium: Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque white glaze, molded and applied decoration Dimensions: H. 25 1/4 in. (64.1 cm) L. 22 in. (55.9 cm) Classification: Ceramics Credit Line: Cora Timken Burnett Collection of Persian Miniatures and Other Persian Art Objects, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956 Accession Number: 57.51.1 The harpy, or fantastic human-headed bird, was a common motif in many parts of the Muslim world. In Iran it was adapted in the twelfth century as a motif on wares in a variety of media. This example is unusual for its large size. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451390

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript Object Details Title: Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript Date: 9th–early 10th century Geography: Made in Central Islamic Lands Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on parchment Dimensions: H. 3 5/16 in. (8.4 cm) W. 5 1/16 in. (12.9 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1962 Accession Number: 62.152.1 Like many early Qur’an folios, this folio is written in parchment in black ink using a broad-nibbed reed pen. The horizontal, rounded letters seen here are characteristic of early kufic Qur’ans on parchment, and are thought to be a response to the rectangular page format. The angular script is moderated by the roundness of several letters that look like large black dots, their inner blank spaces reduced to tiny circles. Red and green dots indicate the vowel marks. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451676

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript Object Details Title: Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript Date: 9th–early 10th century Geography: Made in Central Islamic Lands Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on parchment Dimensions: H. 3 5/16 in. (8.4 cm) W. 5 1/16 in. (12.9 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1962 Accession Number: 62.152.1 Like many early Qur’an folios, this folio is written in parchment in black ink using a broad-nibbed reed pen. The horizontal, rounded letters seen here are characteristic of early kufic Qur’ans on parchment, and are thought to be a response to the rectangular page format. The angular script is moderated by the roundness of several letters that look like large black dots, their inner blank spaces reduced to tiny circles. Red and green dots indicate the vowel marks. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451676

Title: Garden Gathering Date: 1640–50 Geography: Attributed to Iran, probably Isfahan Medium: Stonepaste; painted and polychrome glazed (cuerda seca technique) Dimensions: Panel with tabs: H. 41 in. (104.1 cm) W. 74 in. (188 cm) D. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm) Wt. 400 lbs. Each tile: H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm) W. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm) Classification: Ceramics-Tiles Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1903 Accession Number: 03.9c At the center of this scene, a lady leans on a bolster pillow and languidly holds out a filled cup. Making somewhat immodest eye contact with the viewer, she displays burn marks, associated with mystics and lovers, on her lower arms. A male figure in European dress and hat, perhaps a merchant, kneels before her. The other figures offer refreshments and conversation. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455082

Title: Garden Gathering Date: 1640–50 Geography: Attributed to Iran, probably Isfahan Medium: Stonepaste; painted and polychrome glazed (cuerda seca technique) Dimensions: Panel with tabs: H. 41 in. (104.1 cm) W. 74 in. (188 cm) D. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm) Wt. 400 lbs. Each tile: H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm) W. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm) Classification: Ceramics-Tiles Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1903 Accession Number: 03.9c At the center of this scene, a lady leans on a bolster pillow and languidly holds out a filled cup. Making somewhat immodest eye contact with the viewer, she displays burn marks, associated with mystics and lovers, on her lower arms. A male figure in European dress and hat, perhaps a merchant, kneels before her. The other figures offer refreshments and conversation. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455082

Title: Garden Gathering Date: 1640–50 Geography: Attributed to Iran, probably Isfahan Medium: Stonepaste; painted and polychrome glazed (cuerda seca technique) Dimensions: Panel with tabs: H. 41 in. (104.1 cm) W. 74 in. (188 cm) D. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm) Wt. 400 lbs. Each tile: H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm) W. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm) Classification: Ceramics-Tiles Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1903 Accession Number: 03.9c At the center of this scene, a lady leans on a bolster pillow and languidly holds out a filled cup. Making somewhat immodest eye contact with the viewer, she displays burn marks, associated with mystics and lovers, on her lower arms. A male figure in European dress and hat, perhaps a merchant, kneels before her. The other figures offer refreshments and conversation. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455082

"Shah Jahan Watching an Elephant Fight", Folio from a Padshahnama probably 1639 Object Details Title: "Shah Jahan Watching an Elephant Fight", Folio from a Padshahnama Artist: Bulaqi Date: probably 1639 Geography: Attributed to India Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Dimensions: H. 15 1/16 in. (38.2 cm) W. 9 3/4 in. (24.7 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick, Louis V. Bell, Pfeiffer and Dodge Funds, 1989 Accession Number: 1989.135 In this page from the Padshahnama, the artist has created a unified space stretching from the foreground, where goaders are milling, to the top of the scene, where the emperor and his two sons are shown in profile at an open tripartite window. Although the white and red walls of the fort are unmodulated planes, the placement of figures before them gives a sense of spatial recession. The dynamism of the elephant combat balances the impassive family portraits. While the courtiers in the upper tier turn their backs on the melee to face the royals, and the lower figures seem more concerned with the combat, curiously, none of them look directly at the object of their attention, somewhat diminishing the work's psychological intensity. Nevertheless, the artist subtly suggests that the emperor, under his gilded roof, is the lord of all beneath him. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453313

"Shah Jahan Watching an Elephant Fight", Folio from a Padshahnama probably 1639 Object Details Title: "Shah Jahan Watching an Elephant Fight", Folio from a Padshahnama Artist: Bulaqi Date: probably 1639 Geography: Attributed to India Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Dimensions: H. 15 1/16 in. (38.2 cm) W. 9 3/4 in. (24.7 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick, Louis V. Bell, Pfeiffer and Dodge Funds, 1989 Accession Number: 1989.135 In this page from the Padshahnama, the artist has created a unified space stretching from the foreground, where goaders are milling, to the top of the scene, where the emperor and his two sons are shown in profile at an open tripartite window. Although the white and red walls of the fort are unmodulated planes, the placement of figures before them gives a sense of spatial recession. The dynamism of the elephant combat balances the impassive family portraits. While the courtiers in the upper tier turn their backs on the melee to face the royals, and the lower figures seem more concerned with the combat, curiously, none of them look directly at the object of their attention, somewhat diminishing the work's psychological intensity. Nevertheless, the artist subtly suggests that the emperor, under his gilded roof, is the lord of all beneath him. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453313

"Shah Jahan Watching an Elephant Fight", Folio from a Padshahnama probably 1639 Object Details Title: "Shah Jahan Watching an Elephant Fight", Folio from a Padshahnama Artist: Bulaqi Date: probably 1639 Geography: Attributed to India Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Dimensions: H. 15 1/16 in. (38.2 cm) W. 9 3/4 in. (24.7 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick, Louis V. Bell, Pfeiffer and Dodge Funds, 1989 Accession Number: 1989.135 In this page from the Padshahnama, the artist has created a unified space stretching from the foreground, where goaders are milling, to the top of the scene, where the emperor and his two sons are shown in profile at an open tripartite window. Although the white and red walls of the fort are unmodulated planes, the placement of figures before them gives a sense of spatial recession. The dynamism of the elephant combat balances the impassive family portraits. While the courtiers in the upper tier turn their backs on the melee to face the royals, and the lower figures seem more concerned with the combat, curiously, none of them look directly at the object of their attention, somewhat diminishing the work's psychological intensity. Nevertheless, the artist subtly suggests that the emperor, under his gilded roof, is the lord of all beneath him. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453313

"Shah Jahan Watching an Elephant Fight", Folio from a Padshahnama probably 1639 Object Details Title: "Shah Jahan Watching an Elephant Fight", Folio from a Padshahnama Artist: Bulaqi Date: probably 1639 Geography: Attributed to India Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Dimensions: H. 15 1/16 in. (38.2 cm) W. 9 3/4 in. (24.7 cm) Classification: Codices Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick, Louis V. Bell, Pfeiffer and Dodge Funds, 1989 Accession Number: 1989.135 In this page from the Padshahnama, the artist has created a unified space stretching from the foreground, where goaders are milling, to the top of the scene, where the emperor and his two sons are shown in profile at an open tripartite window. Although the white and red walls of the fort are unmodulated planes, the placement of figures before them gives a sense of spatial recession. The dynamism of the elephant combat balances the impassive family portraits. While the courtiers in the upper tier turn their backs on the melee to face the royals, and the lower figures seem more concerned with the combat, curiously, none of them look directly at the object of their attention, somewhat diminishing the work's psychological intensity. Nevertheless, the artist subtly suggests that the emperor, under his gilded roof, is the lord of all beneath him. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453313

Demons Fighting Over an Animal Limb Object Details Title: Demons Fighting Over an Animal Limb Date: late 17th century Culture: India (Rajasthan, Bikaner or the Deccan) Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Dimensions: 11 9/16 x 7 5/16 in. (29.4 x 18.6 cm) Classification: Paintings Credit Line: Gift of Doris Rubin, in memory of Harry Rubin, 1989 Accession Number: 1989.236.3 In this painting, set in a fantastic landscape with rocks, trees and a cityscape in the distance, two fearsome demons are seen quarreling over the leg of an animal. In the middle ground, three women dressed in typical Rajput fashion and carrying water pots, are oblivious to the demons in their midst. Demonic of this bizarreness are best known in Central Asian manuscript painting, and indeed this is probably their origin, transmitted to India via Persian models. The painter reveals himself as one trained in Rajasthan, probably in the Bikaner court, who was exposed to Deccani painting, either through travel or by access to Deccan paintings at his patron’s library. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/37811