The Prince and the Petitioner

Vali Jan

late 16th century · Ink and gold on paper · Islamic Art

Images containing emaciated horses in Persian art have sufi or mystical connotations, symbolizing the ascetic’s conquest of worldly appetites and ego. Here, a young sufi kisses the hoof of a prince’s horse, an ironic gesture of the spiritually pure in the face of princely pride. Although the drawing has been inscribed with the name of Vali Jan, an artist who emigrated to the Ottoman court, it is based on an original from around 1535 that has been attributed to Sultan Muhammad, a master artist at the court of Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76).

Artist

Vali Jan

Date

late 16th century

Medium

Ink and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Bequest of George D. Pratt, 1935