Mounted Hunter with Dog Pursuing Game Birds
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Ink and transparent watercolor on paper
Dimensions
H. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm) W. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Richard Ettinghausen, 1975
Accession Number
1975.192.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 16th-century folio *Mounted Hunter with Dog Purs Game Birds*, captures a thrilling moment of the chase in the vibrant tradition of Islamic manuscript illumination. Rendered in ink and transparent watercolor on paper, the small-scale work—measuring just 4 3/4 by 3 5/8 inches—exemplifies the precision of Persian miniature painting from the Safavid era. A mounted hunter, accompanied by a loyal dog, pursues game birds amid a dynamic landscape, blending human agility, animal instinct, and nature's beauty in a single, frozen scene. Hunting motifs were a staple in Islamic codices, sym...