On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Maharaja Suraj Mal with a Hawk
India, Himachal Pradesh, Nurpur
The ancestry of falconry, a sport much favored by Indian rulers, can be traced back to the seminomadic peoples of Central Asia. As expressed in Hindu court painting, this vogue is directly attributable to the fashion established by the Mughal courts. The refined hunting abilities of predatory birds, such as their strength and speed in striking prey, were qualities much admired in the martial culture of the Hindu courts. Rajput and Pahari rulers recorded their most beloved animal—birds of prey as well as elephants and stallions—in paintings, both for enjoyment and to chronicle the accoutrements of their reign. Here we see the ruler of a small Pahari hill state, Maharaja Suraj Mal of Nurpur, posed with his prized hunting bird.
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