Jahangir Watching an Elephant Fight

Painting attributed to Farrukh Chela Indian

ca. 1605

Not on view

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.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Jahangir Watching an Elephant Fight
Artist: Painting attributed to Farrukh Chela (Indian)
Date: ca. 1605
Geography: Attributed to India
Medium: Main support: Ink, opaque watercolor, gold on paper
Margins: Gold on dyed paper
Dimensions: Painting: H. 18 1/2 in. (47 cm)
W. 12 7/8 in. (32.7cm)
Mat: H. 22 1/4 in. (56.5 cm)
W. 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm)
Frame: H. 24 1/2 in. (62.2 cm)
W. 18 1/2 in. (47 cm)
Classification: Codices
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1912
Object Number: 12.223.2
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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