"Dervish With a Lion", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album
Painting by Padarath
Calligrapher: Sultan 'Ali al-Mashhadi (active late 15th–early 16th century)

Persian Inscription (in lower border, in Shah Jahan’s hand): "Work of Padarath".

During the reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan, devotees were favorably received, and often indulged, at court. The dervish depicted here has accoutrements associated with a mystic of the time such as a satchel, fur skirt, and distinctive head gear. He also has the dedicatory scars from self-inflicted burns on his upper arm. The floral borders in the Shah Jahan Album, many created by Daulat, combine real and imagined plants with insects, birds, and cloud bands.

Text and image credit:
© 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art