Antelope and deer hunt c. 1602-1604 Govardhan (Indian, active c.1596-1645) Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627) Opaque watercolor and gold on paper Image: 20 x 11.8 cm (7 7/8 x 4 5/8 in.); Overall: 37 x 25.3 cm (14 9/16 x 9 15/16 in.) Dudley P. Allen Fund 1939.66 DID YOU KNOW? The Mughals used trained cheetahs, here wearing a red collar, to capture quarry. DESCRIPTION The Mughals used trained cheetahs to capture prey during hunting expeditions in the wilderness. The metaphor of the hunt was also a potent image in Persian literature, in which the protagonist finally achieves a desired goal. The central image of the cheetah catching the black antelope—a frequently repeated visual trope—resonates with the desire of Prince Salim (who was passionate about hunting) to capture the throne of the Mughal Empire from Akbar, his father. Between 1600 and 1605, when Prince Salim set up his own royal court in defiance of his father, he convinced some imperial artists to join him. The young Govardhan, a Hindu who would go on to achieve high stature in the atelier of the next two emperors, was one of them. INSCRIPTION recto, lower right: Govardhan PROVENANCE 1939- The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 1939-present CITATIONS The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 778 archive.org The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 237 archive.org The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 237 archive.org The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 305 archive.org EXHIBITION HISTORY Indian Ministure Rotation (Gallery 115); August 13, 2003 - February 18, 2004. Indian Minature Rotation (Gallery 115); August 18, 2004 - May 23, 2005. Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 245); July 2, 2014 - January 5, 2015. Art and Stories from Mughal India. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (July 31-October 23, 2016).