Artwork Page for Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham of Balkh Visited by Angels

Details / Information for Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham of Balkh Visited by Angels

Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham of Balkh Visited by Angels

c. 1740

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Bundi

Medium
gum tempera and gold on paper
Measurements
Page: 24.2 x 32.8 cm (9 1/2 x 12 15/16 in.); Miniature: 17.2 x 25.7 cm (6 3/4 x 10 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.160
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Two of the angels bring bottles of wine.

Description

Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham was the King of Balkh in present-day Afghanistan, born around 730, but later abdicated his throne to take up ascetic life in Syria. Sufi legends claim that Ibrahim in the wilderness was fed by angels. In the painting, Ibrahim can be seen in a cave and meditating under a tree, while five angles appear in front of him.
A horizontally oriented gum tempera and gold painting depicts Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham across three vignettes in a rolling green landscape. On the left, the bearded man with a light skin tone sits inside a pink rocky cave. Centrally, five figures in vibrant orange and yellow robes carry offerings in bowls. On the right, he sits cross-legged beneath a tree. A white palace appears against an orange sky, all within a yellow border.

Sultan Ibrahim ibn Adham of Balkh Visited by Angels

c. 1740

Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Bundi

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