'A Floral Fantasy of Animals and Birds (Waq-waq)' Canvas Cloth Print, c.1610

Provenance

A single plant fills the composition, bearing creatures instead of fruit. Dragon, ibex, boar, bird, elephant: real and mythical animals ripen on the vine, while the vine folds back on itself, consuming what it produces. The elephant at the base is about to eat the main branch from which it itself grows; the ibex at the lower right is already cutting it with its teeth. The system is complete, self-devouring, circular.

The image draws on the Persian tradition of the Waq-waq tree, a mythical island populated by half-plant, half-animal creatures described in medieval Islamic texts. At the Mughal court, this tradition was absorbed and transformed into a genre of painted wit designed to delight connoisseurs who could recognise the references and discover the visual puns layered throughout the composition.

This page would have belonged to a royal album — the Mughal practice of collecting fine paintings, calligraphy, and drawings into bound volumes for private enjoyment. The pleasure it offered was intellectual as much as visual: a garden of transformations for a viewer who knew how to read it.

Disclaimer:

• The frames shown are for display purposes only and are not included with the artwork.
• As these are made-to-order designer pieces, expect minor colour variations from the displayed artwork.