"Khwaja Umar Saved from Pursuers," Folio from the Hamzanama (The Adventures of Hamza)
ca. 1565–70
Medium
Opaque color and gold on cotton cloth
Dimensions
Image: H. 25 13/16 in. (65.5 cm) W. 19 5/8 in. (49.8 cm) Frame: H. 24 in. (61 cm) W. 30 1/2 in. (77.5 cm) D. 1 in. (2.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions, Harris Brisbane Dick, and 2020 Benefit Funds; Howard S. and Nancy Marks, Lila Acheson Wallace, and Friends of Islamic Art Gifts; Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; and funds from various donors, 2022
Accession Number
2022.171
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Islamic Art galleries, where we encounter the vibrant world of Mughal painting. "Khwaja Umar Saved from Pursuers" is a dynamic folio from monumental *Hamzanama* (*The Adventures of Hamza an epic tale of heroism and adventure centered on Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad. Painted by the masterful Kesu Das around 1565–70 during Emperor Akbar's reign, this captures a thrilling moment of divine intervention, with Khwaja Umar dramatically rescued amid chaos. As one of Akbar's leading artists in the imperial atelier, Kesu Das infused the composition with bold energy, blending Persian narrative traditions with lively Indian motifs. Crafted in opaque watercolor and gold on cotton cloth—a rare choice for its durability and scale—this folio measures an impressive 25 13/16 by 19 5/8 inches. The *Hamzanama*, Akbar's first grand illustrated manuscript with over 1,400 pages, marked a pivotal shift in Indian painting, pioneering large-scale, cloth-based works that brought epic stories to life for court audiences. Gold accents heighten the drama, illuminating figures in mid-action against a richly patterned landscape. This artwork exemplifies early Mughal innovation, fostering a fusion of cultures that shaped South Asian art for centuries. A gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it invites us to marvel at storytelling's timeless power.