Artwork
An East African King Receives Three Emissaries, from a Khamsa of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi
An East African King Receives Three Emissaries, from a Khamsa of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work depicts a formal encounter in which an East African ruler receives three emissaries.
About this work
Overview
The background is rendered in bold red and yellow fields, and despite considerable age and damage, the original palette remains strikingly bright.
The work depicts a formal encounter in which an East African ruler receives three emissaries. Four male figures dominate the composition: a dark‑skinned king seated on a raised red platform, dressed in a green garment and a yellow hat, and three lighter‑skinned visitors standing beside him in vivid attire and headgear. The background is rendered in bold red and yellow fields, and despite considerable age and damage, the original palette remains strikingly bright.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates a diplomatic exchange, likely drawn from the Khamsa of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi, a medieval Persian literary collection that includes tales of courtly etiquette and political intrigue. The presence of an African monarch and foreign envoys suggests themes of cross‑cultural interaction, authority, and the ceremonial protocols governing such meetings.
Technique & Style
Executed in a traditional miniature painting technique, the piece employs flat areas of saturated color and fine linear detailing characteristic of Persian court art. The figures are outlined with delicate brushwork, while the use of contrasting reds, yellows, and greens creates visual hierarchy, emphasizing the seated ruler against the surrounding platform.
History & Provenance
The painting originates from a manuscript illustration linked to the Khamsa, a 13th‑century poetic anthology. Its exact date is uncertain, but the style aligns with late medieval Persian miniatures. The work has survived considerable wear, with surface abrasion and pigment loss, yet it remains part of a collection that traces its ownership through several private and institutional hands before arriving at its present repository.
Artist & collection
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