Artwork Page for A royal ram with a gold chain

Details / Information for A royal ram with a gold chain

A royal ram with a gold chain

c. 1585; border added probably 1700s

India, Mughal

Medium
Gum tempera and gold on paper
Credit Line
Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection 2013.298
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Sheep with black and white markings like this are called Jacob sheep.

Description

The ram in this painting is a particularly well-groomed animal that was probably kept in the royal menagerie and attended to by special keepers. The puffs of hair on the ram’s back have been colored with henna, and he wears a decorative chain of bells across his chest. The Mughal rulers collected and exhibited specimens of various animals from their territories out of a scientific interest as well as a desire to display the extent of their influence over the land and its inhabitants.
A horizontal gum tempera and gold painting depicts a large white ram standing in profile on a dark green field. Facing left, its head features thick gray spiraling horns and dark brown patches. An orange collar with gold bells is tethered to a wooden stake by a thin chain. Along its back, two fluffy, circular tufts of wool with pink centers sit prominently, highlighting the animal's textured, white fleece.

A royal ram with a gold chain

c. 1585; border added probably 1700s

India, Mughal

See Also

  • Collection
    Indian
  • Department
    Indian and Southeast Asian Art
  • Type of artwork
    Painting
  • Medium
    Tempera
  • Credit line
    Gift In Honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by Exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection

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