Kneeling Angel with Cup and Bottle

Maker(s)
Artist: Attributed to Shah Quli
Historical period(s)
Ottoman period, mid-16th century
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 19.3 x 10.8 cm (7 5/8 x 4 1/4 in)
Geography
Turkey, Probably Istanbul
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1933.6
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
angel, illumination, Ottoman period (1307 - 1922), Turkey
Provenance

E. Beghian. [1]

To 1933
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York. [2]

From 1933
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York. [3]

Notes:

[1] Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.

[2] See note 1. See also Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.

[3] See note 2.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Hagop Kevorkian 1872-1962
E. Beghian 1910?-1950?

Label

Referred to as peri winged celestial creatures are among some of the most popular subjects in sixteenth-century Ottoman and Persian drawings and paintings. The exquisitely rendered composition typifies a distinct style of Ottoman drawing that combines sweeping, calligraphic lines with soft, feathery strokes, as is evident in the minute designs on the figure's robe, cup, and bottle. Light washes of color add a sense of volume and texture to the form of this heavenly being.

Published References
  • Smithsonian Institution. Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 1934. Washington, 1934-1935. opp. p. 26, pl. 1.
  • Smithsonian Institution. Report of the Secretary, 1934. Washington. pl. 1.
  • Philipp Walter Schulz. Die Persisch-Islamische Miniaturmalerei: Ein Beitrag zur Kunstgeschichte Irans. 2 vols, Leipzig. vol. 1: p. 201.
  • Franz Rosenthal. Four Essays on Art and Literature in Islam. The L.A. Mayer Memorial Studies in Islamic Art and Archaeology, vol. 2 London. pl. 13.
  • Fredrik Robert Martin. The Miniature Painting and Painters of Persia, India, and Turkey from the 8th to the 18th Century. 2 vols., London. vol. 1: p. 119.
  • Freer Gallery of Art. The Freer Gallery of Art of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington. p. 11.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Turkish Art of the Ottoman Period. Exh. cat. Washington. cat. 5, p. 14.
  • J.M. Rogers. Islamic Art and Design, 1500-1700. Exh. cat. London. p. 101, fig. 12.
  • Walter B. Denny. Dating Ottoman Turkish Works in the Saz Style in Istanbul. vol. 1 Leiden. pp. 115-116, pl. 24.
  • Armenag Sakisian. La Miniature Persane du XIIe au XVIIe siecle: Ouvrage accompagne de la reproduction de 193 miniatures dont deux en couleurs. Paris and Brussels. pp. 121-122.
  • Laurence Binyon, J.V.S. Wilkinson, Basil Gray. Persian Miniature Painting: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Miniatures Exhibited at Burlington House, January-March 1931. Exh. cat. Oxford, January - March 1931. p. 135, no. 154.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Ottoman Art at the Freer Gallery of Art. no. 4 Istanbul, 1970-1971. p. 192.
  • Mr. Yanni Petsopoulos. Tulips, Arabesques, and Turbans: Decorative Arts from the Ottoman Empire. New York and London. p. 197, pl. 190.
  • Sophy Burnham. A Book of Angels. p. 221.
  • Clement Huart. Les calligraphes et les miniaturistes de l'Orient musulman

    . Paris. pp. 324, 334.

Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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