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Lot Essay
This magnificent portrait of a falcon, adorned with a locket, illustrates the interest in falcon paintings at the court of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (r.1605-27). Hunting with falcons was an imperial pastime at the Mughal court. Studies of hunting falcons had become popular in the 1620s in the style of naturalistic painter of flora of fauna, Ustad Mansur.
The Mughal Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605-27) is known for his interest in the natural world. The output of his atelier reflected this interest producing many fine naturalistic depictions of plants, animals and birds. The account of Jahangir's reign, the Jahangirnama, mentions that in 1619 the Safavid Shah of Iran sent a falcon to Jahangir as a gift. The bird was so admired by Jahangir that he ordered his famous court painter Ustad Mansur to 'paint and preserve its likeness' (Som Prakash Verma, 'Portraits of Birds and Animals under Jahangir,' in Flora and Fauna in Mughal Art, Mumbai, 1999, pp.12-13). The painting which is most probably the very same work mentioned in the Jahangirnama by Mansur is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (inv. 14.683; Verma, 1999, op.cit, fig.1, p.13).
For a closely comparable depiction of a hunting falcon, perched on the wrist of a Safavid prince, dating to the second quarter of the 17th century, see J.M. Rogers, Mughal Miniatures, London, 1993, fig. 72, p.104. Another depiction of a Mughal falcon, dating to the mid-17th century, sold at Christie’s, London, 10 October 2013, lot 180.
The Mughal Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605-27) is known for his interest in the natural world. The output of his atelier reflected this interest producing many fine naturalistic depictions of plants, animals and birds. The account of Jahangir's reign, the Jahangirnama, mentions that in 1619 the Safavid Shah of Iran sent a falcon to Jahangir as a gift. The bird was so admired by Jahangir that he ordered his famous court painter Ustad Mansur to 'paint and preserve its likeness' (Som Prakash Verma, 'Portraits of Birds and Animals under Jahangir,' in Flora and Fauna in Mughal Art, Mumbai, 1999, pp.12-13). The painting which is most probably the very same work mentioned in the Jahangirnama by Mansur is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (inv. 14.683; Verma, 1999, op.cit, fig.1, p.13).
For a closely comparable depiction of a hunting falcon, perched on the wrist of a Safavid prince, dating to the second quarter of the 17th century, see J.M. Rogers, Mughal Miniatures, London, 1993, fig. 72, p.104. Another depiction of a Mughal falcon, dating to the mid-17th century, sold at Christie’s, London, 10 October 2013, lot 180.