Artwork

From Dohras (Songs) 40 and 36 from the Kitab-i Nauras of Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II (verso)

From Dohras (Songs) 40 and 36 from the Kitab-i Nauras of Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II (verso) is an unspecified painting by the Baroque artist Khalilullah Butshikan. It dates from 1618 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This illuminated folio, created in 1618 by the Deccan court artist Khalilullah Butshikan, forms part of the Kitab-i Nauras, a collection of songs commissioned by Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II. The page, now in the Cleveland Museum of Art, presents verses numbered 40 and 36 rendered in Persian calligraphy against a decorative border.

Subject & Meaning

The text consists of two dohras—short lyrical verses—drawn from the sultan’s own poetic anthology. By embedding the poetry within an ornamental frame, the manuscript underscores the court’s devotion to music and literary culture, reflecting the ruler’s personal engagement with the arts.

Technique & Style

The calligraphic script is executed in nastaʿlīq, a flowing Persian hand that balances cursive curves with sharp angles. Gold and brown ink trace the letters, while a thin red‑green border encloses cloud‑shaped panels. Interstitial spaces are filled with miniature foliage motifs, giving the page a garden‑like ambience.

History & Provenance

Originally produced in the Bijapur sultanate of the Deccan, the folio survived the region’s political upheavals and entered European collections in the early twentieth century. It was acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains part of the museum’s South Asian manuscript holdings.

Context

The Kitab-i Nauras exemplifies the syncretic artistic environment of the Deccan, where Persian literary traditions merged with indigenous Indian decorative motifs. Artists such as Khalilullah Butshikan were instrumental in adapting courtly aesthetics to local tastes, producing works that blend Islamic calligraphy with the lush vegetal ornamentation typical of Bijapuri manuscripts.