Loading

The Magi Follow the Star, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier

Payag (Indian)1602-04

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

One of the three kings points excitedly at the star at the upper left edge of the page, while another bites the finger of astonishment; the third holds his fist over his heart. They are all dressed like Portuguese merchants, but they ride camels associated with their homeland in Arabia, as specified in the text. At the breakaway court of Prince Salim in Allahabad, high-quality materials were not as plentiful as in the imperial capital. The paper is brittle and has browned excessively, and the paint films are relatively thin; here the text from the verso shows through the lightly colored background.

Show lessRead more
Download this artwork (provided by The Cleveland Museum of Art).
Learn more about this artwork.
  • Title: The Magi Follow the Star, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier
  • Creator: Payag (Indian)
  • Date Created: 1602-04
  • Physical Dimensions: Sheet: 26.2 x 15.7 cm (10 5/16 x 6 3/16 in.); Image: 20.6 x 10.9 cm (8 1/8 x 4 5/16 in.)
  • Provenance: An Indian family in Great Britain, whose grandfather brought the manuscript to England in the 1930s or 1940s through 2005, (Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch Ltd., London, UK, 2005, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 2005-present
  • Type: Manuscript
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2005.145.34.a
  • Medium: Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
  • Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Culture: Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627)
  • Credit Line: John L. Severance Fund
  • Collection: Indian Art
  • Accession Number: 2005.145.34.a
The Cleveland Museum of Art

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites