The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

A Royal Picnic on a Terrace

A Royal Picnic on a Terrace

c. 1620

attributed to Muhammad Ali

(Persian, active 1590–1620)
Overall: 23.4 x 14.6 cm (9 3/16 x 5 3/4 in.)

Did You Know?

A gentleman connoisseur has tucked a flowering sprig into his voluminous turban.

Description

A richly patterned carpet spans the width of the composition and forms the setting for a royal visit. The status of the highest-ranking person is indicated by the tan cloth placed over the carpet and the voluminous wine-colored cushion ornamented with stylized gold clouds. An attendant holding an emblem of Indian royalty, the fly whisk, stands to one side.

At the far right of the carpet are two books, indicating that they are learned men. Like the carpet, the book covers have central medallions and borders, in line with the Persian aesthetic that the Mughals of India held in high regard.
  • ?–1920
    (Imre Schweiger, London, England, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1920–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Catalogue of the Inaugural Exhibition June 6-September 20, 1916. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1916. cat. no. 72, p. 158 archive.org
  • Carpets and Canopies in Mughal India​ (Indian art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 22-September 8, 2024).
    Art and Stories from Mughal India. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 31-October 23, 2016).
    Dance of the Gods: Indian Art Inspired by Music. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-December 8, 1996).
    From Hand to Mouth: A History of Flatware. The Cleveland Museum of Art, gallery 102 (October 18, 1994-March 26, 1995)
    India's Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 2, 1949-January 22, 1950).
    Inaugural Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (co-organizer) (June 6-September 20, 1916).
  • {{cite web|title=A Royal Picnic on a Terrace|url=false|author=Muhammad Ali|year=c. 1620|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1920.1966