The Constellations Argo and Hydra (recto), The Constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor (verso), Folio from an Ajaib al-Makhluqat wa-Gharaib al-Mawjudat (Wonders of Creation and Oddities of Existence) by al-Qazwini

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The Constellations Argo and Hydra (recto), The Constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor (verso), Folio from an Ajaib al-Makhluqat wa-Gharaib al-Mawjudat (Wonders of Creation and Oddities of Existence) by al-Qazwini

India, Deccan, circa 1675
Manuscripts
Opaque watercolor and red ink on paper
8 1/2 x 5 3/4 in. (21.59 x 12.7 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Douglas (M.85.283.1)
South and Southeast Asian Art
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

The Ajaib al-Makhluqat wa-Gharaib al-Mawjudat (Wonders of Creation and Oddities of Existence) is a cosmographical and geographical treatise written in Arabic in 1279-1280 by Zakariyya' al-Qazwini (120...
The Ajaib al-Makhluqat wa-Gharaib al-Mawjudat (Wonders of Creation and Oddities of Existence) is a cosmographical and geographical treatise written in Arabic in 1279-1280 by Zakariyya' al-Qazwini (1203-1283), who was born in Qazvin, Iran. It consists of two volumes: the celestial spheres, including a discussion of chronology, planets, constellations, zodiac, and heavenly inhabitants such as angels and demons; and terrestrial phenomena, including the four elements, geography, the animal kingdom, botany, minerology, and the nature of mankind. This folio is from a dispersed manuscript reportedly with a colophon dated 1675. Recto: The Constellations Argo, the ship of Greek mythology (safina), and Hydra, the multiheaded water serpent of Greek mythology (al-timsah). This folio is the left half of a double-page illumination. The right-hand facing page with the continuation of the composition cannot now be traced. Verso: The Constellations Canis Major (Large Dog; al-kalb al-akbar) and Canis Minor (Small Dog; al-kalb al-asghar). (Translation by Wheeler Thackston.)
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Bibliography

  • Pal, Pratapaditya. Indian Painting, vol.1. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1993.