"Akbar Hunting with Cheetahs", Folio from a Manuscript of the Akbarnama. Folio from the Davis Album

Art Historical Context

Behold the vibrant folio *"Akbar Hunting with Cheahs"* from the *Akbarnama*, the grand official biography of Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605). Created around 1604 by the skilled painter Manohar, with text by the emperor's court chronicler Abu'l Fazl, page captures a thrilling imperial hunt. Part of the Davis Album at the Metropolitan Museum of Art it exemplifies the pinnacle of Mughal miniature painting, Persian influences with Indian dynamism. Rendered in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper (13 1/8 x 8 1/4 inches), the artwork bursts with meticulous detail. Manohar's fine ink outlines define leaping cheetahs—trained royal hunters—pursuing deer amid a lively entourage of men on horseback and elephant, plus grazing cows. The flat, vivid colors and gold highlights create a jewel-like quality, characteristic of the Mughal atelier's precision and narrative flair, where hunts symbolized the emperor's prowess and harmony with nature. This piece offers a window into Akbar's reign, a golden age of cultural synthesis and patronage. Hunting scenes like this celebrated imperial might while showcasing the cheetah's historical role in South Asian nobility, a tradition fading by the 20th century. A treasure of the Met's Islamic Art collection, it invites you to step into the splendor of 17th-century India.