On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Goshawk Drinking
India, Himachal Pradesh, Mandi
Not on view
The ancestry of falconry, a sport much favored by Indian rulers, can be traced back to the seminomadic peoples of Central Asia. As expressed in Hindu court painting, this vogue is directly attributable to the fashion established by the Mughal courts. The refined hunting abilities of predatory birds, such as their strength and speed in striking prey, were qualities much admired in the martial culture of the Hindu courts. Rajput and Pahari rulers recorded their most beloved animal—birds of prey as well as elephants and stallions—in paintings, both for enjoyment and to chronicle the accoutrements of their reign.Here, we see a royal trained bird of prey, identifiable as the powerful goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), perched on the rim of a Chinese blue-and-white porcelain bowl, from which he is drinking.
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