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A Mughal Prince, Perhaps Danyal, Holding a Sprig of Flowers
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Prince Danyal (1527–1605), the emperor Akbar’s youngest son, is said to have been his favorite. Danyal served his father as a military officer, leading contingents to the Deccan plateau in southern India, until he succumbed to an untimely death of alcoholism; Akbar himself died later that year. Here, Danyal wears the thumb ring of an archer and grasps a white flower in his hand, recalling his epithet, Nosegay of Fortune’s Spring. In his right hand he holds prayer beads. A sword, knife, and dagger hang from his sash. This early Mughal portrait depicts him as he appeared in his mid-teens.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineA Mughal Prince, Perhaps Danyal, Holding a Sprig of Flowers, c. 1580–90. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Gum tempera and gold on paper; miniature: 14.6 x 8.7 cm (5 3/4 x 3 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, 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, 2013.293
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