A chukar partridge

Object Details

• Court

  Mughal Court

• School/Tradition

  Mughal school

• Description

  Detached folio from a dispersed manuscript; text panels in Persian black nasta'liq script; A chukar partridge.

  Border: The painting is set in red and blue rulings surrounded by a brown color inner frame and a purple outer frame mounted on paperboard with knotwork motifs.

• Marks

  Verso of Matting: octagonal sticker, blue border, 144 is—, written in black ink

  Verso of Matting: octagonal sticker, blue border, 144 is—, written in black ink

• Inscriptions

  On the top and bottom text panels, the partridge walked in a cheerful gait/ proud and self-satisfied it came forth/ red beaked and robed in black/ causing blood to boil from its sight.

• Label

  The chukar partridge appears continually in paintings from both Iran and India, being especially prominent during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The appearance of seemingly individualized animal studies such as this has long been taken as evidence of Mughal interest in the immediate observation of nature. In fact, such illustrations were frequently derived from specific motifs in earlier paintings.

• Provenance

  By 1929-1942

  Henri Vever (1854-1942), method of acquisition unknown [1]

  1942-1947

  Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [2]

  1947-1986

  Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [3]

  From 1986

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased from Francois Mautin [4]

  Notes:

  [1] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever (1854-1942) amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century. Its unclear when and from where Vever acquired this work, but it was in his collection by 1929 when it was published in Ivan Stchoukine, “La Peinture Indienne a l’époque des Grands Moghols,” (Paris: Librairie Ernest Leroux, 1929), 205 and figure XXVI.

  [2] Upon Henri Vever’s death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited the work. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.

  [3] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family’s assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as “The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts.” This work is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 2.

  [4] The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file.

  Research updated August 22, 2023.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  Akbar The Great Emperor of India (October 23, 2012 to February 3, 2013)

  L'Age d'or des sciences arabes (October 25, 2005 to March 19, 2006)

  Arts of Mughal India (1992) (May 24 to December 6, 1992)

  A Jeweler's Eye: Islamic Arts of the Book from the Vever Collection (November 20, 1988 to April 30, 1989)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Henri Vever (1854-1942)

  Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947)

  François Mautin (1907-2003)

• Origin

  India

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1590s, 1570s

• Name

  Mautin, Francois Albert, Monthiers, Jeanne Louise, Vever, Henri

• Place

  India

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Henri Vever collection, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), Flowers, Quail

• Culture

  Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Paintings