Album Page with Decoupe Vase of Flowers, Insects, and Birds 1605 - 1665

This album page with a decoupage vase of flowers, insects and birds, was created by Muhammad Hasan in India around the mid-17th century. The Mughal Empire at this time was renowned for its artistic achievements, especially painting and decorative arts which this work exemplifies. The vase teems with life, yet the artist is careful to arrange natural forms into a balanced composition. What can this tell us about the Mughal court? The image suggests an elite culture that prized both naturalism and artifice, an idealized vision of nature ordered by the artist’s hand. Gold leaf indicates the wealth needed to commission such a work. The task of the art historian is to carefully unpack the cultural values embedded in such images. We can consult court records, accounts of artistic workshops, and studies of Mughal aesthetics to better understand the complex social world that made this delicate artwork possible.