The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 20, 2026

A vertically oriented painting on tan paper features diagonal Persian calligraphy on a gold ground, nested within rectangular frames. A wide outer border depicts light brown deer—resting, leaping, and grazing—amidst colorful floral vines. Small birds perch on delicate stalks throughout the margins. The composition balances the central illuminated text with intricate naturalistic motifs, all rendered in gold and tempera.

Persian calligraphy framed by an ornamental border of flowers, birds, and deer, from the Late Shah Jahan Album

calligraphy: c. 1500–1540; border: c. 1630–40

Mir 'Ali Haravi

(Persian, active in Herat, Afghanistan, died c. 1550)
Mughal India, court of Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–58)
Gum tempera, gold, and ink on paper
Overall: 36.8 x 25.2 cm (14 1/2 x 9 15/16 in.)
Gift of Herbert F. Leisy in memory of his wife, Helen Stamp Leisy 1977.207
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

On the right, two white-throated kingfishers, a species native to Asia, sit on thin vines.

Description

About 100 years after the calligraphy was completed by a Persian master and embellished with gold and floral arabesques, the small page was mounted into an album for the Mughal emperor of India. Mughal artists filled the outer border with floral vines, blooming and budding with many varieties. Pairs of birds perch throughout; male and female deer relax, listening to the birdsong. The Indian artists chose to emphasize nature’s abundance and life-giving forces, whereas the Persian artists sought to achieve exquisite, gemlike refinement.

The central poem, by Ibn-i Yamin (Persian, 1286–1368), encourages the reader not to worry about unexpected calamities.
  • ?–1977
    Herbert F. Leisy [1900–1977], Cleveland Heights, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1977–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Leach, Linda York. Indian Miniature Paintings and Drawings: The Cleveland Museum of Art Catalogue of Oriental Art. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1986. Reproduced: cat. no. 28iii, pp. 102 and 103; mentioned: pp. 103-104.
  • Nature Supernatural. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 22, 2023-March 3, 2024).
    Indian Gallery Rotation (Gallery 245). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (April 28-November 2, 2015).
    Indian Miniature Rotation (Gallery 115). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (August 18, 2004-May 23, 2005).
  • {{cite web|title=Persian calligraphy framed by an ornamental border of flowers, birds, and deer, from the Late Shah Jahan Album|url=false|author=Mir 'Ali Haravi|year=calligraphy: c. 1500–1540; border: c. 1630–40|access-date=20 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1977.207