The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 20, 2025
Ajyal (Generations)
2012
(Emirati, b. 1989)
Sheet: 120 x 101 cm (47 1/4 x 39 3/4 in.); Framed: 119.4 x 137.8 x 5.8 cm (47 x 54 1/4 x 2 5/16 in.)
Jo Hershey Selden Fund 2014.374
Location: Not on view
Description
In this portrait, Demithan’s brother supports a tethered and hooded falcon while holding in his other hand the falcon’s food, a quail, behind their father’s outstretched arm, a metaphor for male elders passing their heritage to future generations. The black background and surreal presence of multiple limbs contribute to the photograph’s formal grandeur and symbolic significance. Symbols of Emirati culture and the most treasured birds of prey, falcons acquired aristocratic status by the medieval Islamic era, fuelled by increased pageantry, professional trainers, and the availability of exotic birds. Falconry probably originated in Central Asia or Iran at least 4,000 years ago.- Tannenbaum, Barbara. “Acquisition Highlights 2014: Photography.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 55, no. 2 (March/April 2015): 23. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 23 archive.org
- Beyond Truth: Photography after the Shutter. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 10-May 26, 2019).Islamic art rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 18, 2014-December 14, 2015).Houston Center for Photography, March 14, 2014 - May 4, 2014.
- {{cite web|title=Ajyal (Generations)|url=false|author=Maitha Demithan|year=2012|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2014.374