Sea Serpent (al-Tannin)
15th century
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.
Dimensions
31.8 x 20.3 cm (12 1/2 x 8 in.)
Provenance
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.
Related Artworks
View MoreInk, color and gold on paper; pricked
16th centuryPersianOpaque watercolor on paper
17th centuryOttomanCalligraphy; ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
17th-18th centuryIndianTop: black counterproof on off-white modern laid paper; Bottom: black counterproof, blue ink and graphite on beige Eastern (?) paper
19th centuryPersianWatercolor, black chalk and blue colored pencil on off-white wove paper; pricked (recto); Watercolor, silver and gold over graphite on off-white modern laid paper (verso)
19th centuryPersianGraphite on off-white wove paper (recto); Watercolor and black ink on off-white paper (verso)
19th centuryPersianInk, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
19th centuryPersianOpaque watercolor on paper
17th centuryOttomanTop: brown ink on tan Eastern paper; Middle: brown ink and watercolor on off-white wove paper; Bottom: brown ink on tan Eastern paper; selectively pricked and pounced with black chalk
19th centuryPersianOpaque watercolor and gold on paper
16th centuryIndianInk, opaque watercolor and gold on paper; Late Mughal or Deccan Sultanate Style
18th centuryIndian