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Hamid Bhakari Punished by Akbar
Folio from the Davis Album, c.1604.
Author: Abu'l Fazl (1551–1602)
Artist: Painting attributed to Manohar (active ca. 1582–1624)
Object Name: Illustrated album leaf
Date: ca. 1604
Geography: Attributed to India
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions: Page: H. 13 1/8 in. (33.3 cm) W. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm) Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm) W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm)
Written by the courtier Abu'l Fazl between 1589 and 1598, the Akbarnama chronicles the life of the emperor Akbar, including details on His Majesty’s affairs ranging from the issuing of edicts to his daily diet. The focus of this painting appears to be a royal hunting expedition, but in the lower left corner one finds the true subject: the courtier Hamid Bhakari stripped to his underclothes and forced to ride backwards on a donkey, a humiliation for an offense committed again the emperor.
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 30.95.174.8