The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 19, 2025
A pair of Brahminy ducks
c. 1595; borders added probably 1800s
Page: 28.3 x 19.8 cm (11 1/8 x 7 13/16 in.); Painting: 8.6 x 4.5 cm (3 3/8 x 1 3/4 in.)
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
Delicate dots articulate the texture of webbed feet and toothy row in the beak.Description
The Brahminy duck, also known as the ruddy shelduck, can be found throughout Southern Europe, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. This painting accurately depicts the orange coloring of Brahminy ducks and the patches of white on their wings. They are also recognizable by their long legs and short bills. The level of detail in realistic paintings of animals like this one suggests that Mughal artists studied live subjects, such as the waterfowl that lived in Mughal palace gardens.- Art and Stories from Mughal India. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 31-October 23, 2016).The Cleveland Museum of Art (7/31/2016-10/23/2016); Art and Stories from Mughal India, cat. 19, p. 193.
- {{cite web|title=A pair of Brahminy ducks|url=false|author=|year=c. 1595; borders added probably 1800s|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2013.299