Harvard Art Museums > 2018.6: Sea Serpent (al-Tannin) Albums Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Sea Serpent (al-Tannin) , 2018.6,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Nov 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/336988. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2018.6 Title Sea Serpent (al-Tannin) Classification Albums Work Type album folio Date 15th century Places Creation Place: Middle East, Iran Period Aq Qoyunlu period Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/336988 Physical Descriptions Medium Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Technique Aquatint and drypoint Dimensions 31.8 x 20.3 cm (12 1/2 x 8 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Possibly Sir Bernard Eckstein, his sale; [Sotheby's, London, 7 February 1949, lot 14]. [Sotheby's, London, 11 April 1961], sold; to Edwin Binney, 3rd, 1961, bequest; to Harvard Art Museums. NOTE: Stored at the San Diego Museum of Art from some time before 1986 until 1991, then at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from 1991-2011. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Edwin Binney, 3rd Collection of Turkish Art at the Harvard Art Museums Accession Year 2018 Object Number 2018.6 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 Barely contained within a thinly-painted gold border is a large serpentine figure. Its coiling, sinuous, gray body is covered in small and large circular scales, and its back features a gold spine that resembles flickering flames. It has a moon-shaped face with large red eyes. The face is surrounded by six dragon-like heads with long, thin, curving necks. These heads have large red eyes, long snouts, and gaping mouths with protruding red tongues. The two heads that encircle the moon face rest on top of it with their snouts touching each other. The image is framed by paper borders in dark and light blue, and is mounted into an album page that is tan in color with silver flecks. Immediately to the right of the serpent are traces of Arabic writing in black ink and naskh script. The text runs vertically in the present configuration, implying that the serpent would have been oriented horizontally in its original context within a manuscript. 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
