"Hamza's Heroes Fight in Support of Qasim and Badi'uzzaman", Folio from a Hamzanama (The Adventures of Hamza)

Shravana|Dasavanta|Tara

ca. 1564–69 · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on cloth; mounted on paper · Islamic Art

The Hamzanama relates the story of Hamza, an uncle of the prophet Mohammad and an ardent defender of Muslim faith. In this folio, two of Hamza’s allies, Qazim and Badiʿuzzaman fight under a pavilion. The scene is overrun with chaos as other groupings of rivals join the brawl. The drama-filled story of the Hamzanama was a favorite of the Mughal emperor Akbar, who commissioned this magnificent manuscript in 1562. Composed of 1400 illustrations and bound into several volumes, the work took nearly one hundred artists fifteen years to complete.

Artist

Shravana|Dasavanta|Tara

Date

ca. 1564–69

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on cloth; mounted on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1918