The Magi Follow the Star, from a Mirror of Holiness (Mir’at al-quds) of Father Jerome Xavier 1602-04 Part of a set. See all set records attributed to Payag (Indian) Mughal India, Allahabad, made for Prince Salim (1569–1627) Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper 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.) John L. Severance Fund 2005.145.34.a DESCRIPTION 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. ARTIST BIOGRAPHY PAYAG late 1500s-early 1600s PROVENANCE Before 1930s-2005 An Indian family in Great Britain, whose grandfather brought the manuscript to England in the 1930s or 1940s through 2005 2005 (Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch Ltd., London, UK, 2005, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 2005- The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 2005-present CITATIONS Gommans, Jos J. L. The Unseen World: The Netherlands and India from 1550. [Amsterdam] : Rijks Museum: Uitgeverij Vantilt, 2018. Reproduced: p. 154, fig. 2.55