Princess with Wine Bottle and Cup (recto); Persian Verses (verso) (c. 1550–1600 (recto); c. 1450–1500 (verso)): Art, History and Details

Princess with Wine Bottle and Cup (recto); Persian Verses (verso) (c. 1550–1600 (recto); c. 1450–1500 (verso)) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Single-page depictions of courtly figures became popular in Iran during the 1500s. The subject here conveys Safavid ideals of female beauty. Long dark hair falls in jeweled braids down to her ankles, while shorter tendrils frame her full, smooth face. She is shown in the three-quarter profile favored in Persian painting. The contrasting colors of the bright blue of her robe and the orange of her sash and tunic beneath are features of Safavid fashion.

Object facts

• Title: Princess with Wine Bottle and Cup (recto); Persian Verses (verso)
• Date: c. 1550–1600 (recto); c. 1450–1500 (verso)
• Culture: Iran, Qazvin or Isfahan, Safavid period (1501-1722) (recto); Iran, possibly Timurid period (1370-1501) (verso)
• Type: Manuscript
• Technique: opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
• Dimensions: Verso image: 11.8 x 5.3 cm (4 5/8 x 2 1/16 in.); Recto Image: 12.2 x 5.7 cm (4 13/16 x 2 1/4 in.); Overall: 37.1 x 24.8 cm (14 5/8 x 9 3/4 in.)
• Collection: Islamic Art
• Department: Islamic Art
• Accession number: 1947.496

Collection credit

Edward L. Whittemore Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Rosenweig, Daphne Lange. "Stalking the Persian Dragon: Chinese Prototypes for the Miniature Representations." Kunst des Orients XII 1/2 (1978-79): 151-176.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.