An Elephant and Keeper

Unknown

ca. 1650–60 · Opaque color and gold on paper · Islamic Art

This splendid image of an imperial elephant shows the animal tethered in open grassland, close to a Mughal army encampment. He waits patiently as his keeper strips cane and prepares other greens for his meal. Tiny groups of foot soldiers and cavalry may be seen in the distance as well as elephants, camels and a noblewoman’s purdah carriage drawn by bullocks. The now flaked inscription below the image has the impression of being written by emperor Shah Jahan himself and has been speculatively read as giving the name of the elephant as Firuz Jang ("Victorious in war").

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1650–60

Medium

Opaque color and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions and 2020 Benefit Funds; Howard S. and Nancy Marks Gift; Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; The Mossavar-Rahmani Fund for Iranian Art and funds from various donors, 2022