The Flight of the Simurgh by Basawan | Restored Mughal Wall Art

The mythical bird Simurgh — vast feathered wings, sweeping tail of scarlet and ochre — carries off a young man into the sky, while an archer below loses his arrow upward in desperation. Beneath the scene: a riverbank dense with fish, herons stalking the shallows; behind, a violet rock formation rises against the deep blue Mughal sky.

Painted by Basawan, ca. 1590 — one of the towering masters of Akbar's atelier, celebrated for his psychological depth and lyrical command of composition. The folio comes from a Mughal-Indian Shahnama (or related Persian epic) tradition, and is among Basawan's most beloved single-folio compositions.

Restored from the museum archives by aurahliving.com.