Painting
ca. 1620
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Mansur had begun his illustrious career during Akbar’s reign (1556-1605). His work is found in some of the pages of the V&A's Akbarnama. He continued to work in the royal library under Jahangir (r. 1605-1627), and was with other artists who accompanied the emperor in his frequent travels across the empire. Jahangir gave him the title Nadir al-‘Asr, or Wonder of the Age. Only he and one other artist, Abu'l Hasan, are recorded as having been honoured in this way. Mansur was particularly famous for his studies of birds, animals and flowers.
The Cheer Pheasant (catreus wallichii) may have been seen by the artist in Kashmir, a province which Jahangir loved and frequently visited, especially in the last years of his reign. The borders of densely arranged gold flowering plants on indigo-dyed paper probably also date to the reign of Jahangir.
Another closely similar version of the painting is in the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum in Jaipur (AG 834).
The Cheer Pheasant (catreus wallichii) may have been seen by the artist in Kashmir, a province which Jahangir loved and frequently visited, especially in the last years of his reign. The borders of densely arranged gold flowering plants on indigo-dyed paper probably also date to the reign of Jahangir.
Another closely similar version of the painting is in the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum in Jaipur (AG 834).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Opaque watercolour and gold on paper |
| Brief description | Painting, Himalayan Cheer Pheasant, by Mansur, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Mughal, ca. 1620 |
| Physical description | Painting, in opaque watercolour, watercolour wash and gold on paper, depicting a Himalayan Cheer Pheasant perched in a natural landscape; ascribed to Mansur. Indigo dyed borders filled with flowering plants in gold. |
| Dimensions | Half Imperial Mount (Portrait) |
| Content description | A Himalayan Cheer Pheasant perched in a natural landscape. |
| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | amal-e Ustad Mansur (this is an attribution, not a signature)
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Lady Wantage |
| Object history | Part of the bequest of the Right Honourable Harriet Sarah Baroness Wantage, of Locking House, Wantage Berks, widow of the first and last Baron Wantage, V.C., K.C.B., V.D. R.P. 1920-8342, 1920-5869, 1921-3081, 1921-177 |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Mansur had begun his illustrious career during Akbar’s reign (1556-1605). His work is found in some of the pages of the V&A's Akbarnama. He continued to work in the royal library under Jahangir (r. 1605-1627), and was with other artists who accompanied the emperor in his frequent travels across the empire. Jahangir gave him the title Nadir al-‘Asr, or Wonder of the Age. Only he and one other artist, Abu'l Hasan, are recorded as having been honoured in this way. Mansur was particularly famous for his studies of birds, animals and flowers. The Cheer Pheasant (catreus wallichii) may have been seen by the artist in Kashmir, a province which Jahangir loved and frequently visited, especially in the last years of his reign. The borders of densely arranged gold flowering plants on indigo-dyed paper probably also date to the reign of Jahangir. Another closely similar version of the painting is in the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum in Jaipur (AG 834). |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.136-1921 |
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| Record created | July 15, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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