Harvard Art Museums > 1950.134: Portrait of Mulla Do Piyazeh Paintings Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Portrait of Mulla Do Piyazeh , 1950.134,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/216573. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1950.134 Title Portrait of Mulla Do Piyazeh Classification Paintings Work Type painting Date mid 18th century Places Creation Place: South Asia, India, Deccan Culture Indian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/216573 Physical Descriptions Medium Ink and opaque watercolor on paper Dimensions 19 x 13.9 cm (7 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Grace Nichols Strong, Francis H. Burr and Friends of the Fogg Art Museum Funds Accession Year 1950 Object Number 1950.134 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Against a mint green background, a portly figure, recognizable as the folklore character Mulla Do Piyazeh, is depicted with a white robe with long sleeves and his distinctive, large white, turban. He is mounted on a brown, emaciated horse with a protruding tongue. The horse’s eye rolls upward, suggesting exhaustion. Mulla Do Piyazeh holds the reins in his right hand, while his left hand, masked by the large sleeve, holds a whip. A white and gray dog lies at the front feet of the horse. He was a character from a series of folk tales featuring the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) and his courtier Birbal. These legends originated at the end of Akbar’s reign and were popular through the 19th century. Most scholars believe that he is completely fictional. Publication History Hasan Javadi, Satire in Persian Literature, Farleigh Dickinson University Press (Rutherford, 1988), Pg. 89 Stuart Cary Welch, "A Matter of Empathy: Comical Indian Pictures", Asian Art & Culture, ed. Karen Sagstetter, Oxford University Press (UK) (New York, NY, Fall/Winter 1994), vol. 7, no. 1, Page 95/Figure 14 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
