Explore the remarkable collection of Indian paintings and drawings of the artist Howard Hodgkin.
A pair of Imperial Pigeons is shown against a plain ground. The male bird has gold rings on its legs, suggesting that these are prized birds in imperial possession. The sport of pigeon-flying (called ishq-bazi or ‘love play’) was a favourite Mughal pastime. Over twenty thousand pigeons were kept at Akbar’s court, of which five hundred were classified as khasa or élite birds.
Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2nd February-22nd April 2012, Visions of Mughal India: The Collection of Howard Hodgkin, Andrew Topsfield, ed. (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2012), no. 14 on p. 50, pp. 18 & 154, illus. p. 51
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