The elephants at the waterhole, from Lights of Canopus (Anvar-i Suhayli) by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi

Dharm Das

The elephants at the waterhole, folio from Lights of Canopus (Anvar-i Suhayli), a reworking of the animal fables Kalila and Dimna (Kalila wa Dimna), composed by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi. The elephants graze by the waterhole, watched by the hare from a nearby hill. This folio is from a copy of a highly-regarded Persian text, written by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi (d.1504-05), a preacher and scholar at the Timurid court in Herat (modern Afghanistan). His patron was Amir Shaykh Suhayli, whose last name is punningly inserted into the new title. Writing in a sophisticated court style, Kashifi composed an updated version of these lively animal fables, which have a long transmission history going back to Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit texts. This manuscript was made in Mughal India, and features 96 paintings (mounted separately). Detached folio, ink, gold and colours on paper, from partial copy of Lights of Canopus (Anvar-i Suhayli) by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi (d.1504-5), Persian text with painting (on verso), Agra, India, c. 1595-1600