Elephant eating a tree

Brush drawing with colour on paper.

A royal elephant enjoying a respite from its state duties takes its leafy lunch from a convenient tree. The bearded mahout directs the improvised meal with shouts of command and the touch of his ankus. Freely sketched with a sparing use of colour and wash, this composition derives from earlier Deccani and Mughal models.

To view a high-resolution version of this image and for further information please visit the Yousef Jameel Online Centre at the Ashmolean.