"'Umar Walks around Fulad Castle, Meets a Foot Soldier and Kicks Him to the Ground", Folio from a Hamzanama (The Adventures of Hamza)

Kesav Das|Mah Muhammad

ca. 1570 · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on cloth; mounted on paper · Islamic Art

The Hamzanama recounts the fable of Hamza, an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad who was a legendary defender of the faith. This painting illustrates an episode involving 'Umar, a spy loyal to Hamza, who learns of a secret tunnel into Fulad castle from the soldier whom he has bested. It comes from a multivolume, large-scale copy of the text made for the emperor Akbar that took approximately fifteen years to complete. Unlike most books, its paintings were probably meant to be held up for an audience while a storyteller recited the text.

Artist

Kesav Das|Mah Muhammad

Date

ca. 1570

Medium

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

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1923