Composite man and tiger, late Mughal, Shah Alam period, late 18th cent. (detail)
Composite man and tiger, late Mughal, Shah Alam period, late 18th cent.
Demons and composite elephant, Murshidabad, Bengal, 18th cent.
Peri riding composite camel, Rajasthan, 17th cent.
Composite elephant, Mughal, c. 1600
Lady riding composite camel, Bundi, Rajasthan, c. 1750-70
Composite elephant, Mughal, reign of Akbar, c. 1590
Lady riding composite camel, Murshidabad, Bengal, 18th cent.
Demon riding composite elephant, Bikaner-Jodhpur, Rajasthan, 1770-1800
Drum player riding composite horse, Deccani, 18th cent.
Pashu Kunjar – Composite Camel via Exotic India Art
Pashu Kunjar – Composite Elephant via Exotic India Art
“…the works which most closely resemble in idea and execution the composite heads of Arcimboldo are the Mughal miniature paintings of fantastic animals which are mosaics of intertwined animal and human forms. In the Hindu tradition such paintings possibly represent the belief in the internal unity of all beings and illustrate the doctrine of the transmigration of souls through successive reincarnations. It is possible, though precise documentation does not exist, that Arcimboldo was stimulated to experiment with composite figures after seeing Indian miniature paintings on ivories or in books that belonged to the imperial collection of curiosities. In Arcimboldo’s works also, and in the calligraphic Indian portraits of animals, as well as in the interesting and provocative displays of the Wunderkammer, an effort was obviously made to stress the mystical and ambiguous relationship of man to the natural world. It is even possible that Arcimboldo, like the Indian painters, was trying to express a belief in metempsychosis, a popular doctrine of his day and one that almost certainly had appeal for his enigmatic imperial master [Rudolf II].”
–From Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume II: A Century of Wonder
All images but the last two are from the out-of-print book Flora and Fauna in Mughal Art. [Publisher description: “From the start of Mughal rule in the early 16th century, there was a strong interest in the flora and fauna of India. This volume offers an illustrated, comprehensive examination of all forms of expression, including portraits of birds, animals, flowers and plants; also album pages, manuscript illuminations, architectural motifs, arms and armour, metalwork, carpets and textiles.”]
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Persian Handstands
