An East African King Receives Three Emissaries, from a Khamsa of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi
1450
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1450
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a tall king in gold and red robes striding forward, one hand outstretched toward three kneeling men in patterned clothes. This painting comes from a rare book made in India around 1450. It’s the first known Persian storybook illustrated by an Indian artist, likely trained in Jain workshops. The king’s bold pose shows power, but the small, careful details—like the tiny flowers on the carpet—reveal the artist’s training. To see more work like this, look up India, sultanate period.
