* Le cheval émacié Lot n° 57

An emaciated horse, India, Deccan, mid-17th century Drawing on nim-qalam paper (ink and light colors), with gold scrolling floral border on a midnight-blue background. Condition: small stains and rubbing on the drawing. Size: painting: 12.2 x 9.2 cm. leaf: 19.1 x 16.1 cm. Provenance: Former French collection This lot is sold as a temporary import. The starving horse belongs to an iconographic tradition dating back to China during the Song dynasty (960-1279). The motif probably entered the repertoire of Iranian artists during the Mongol period through interaction with Chinese art. Great artists such as Siyah Qalam (Topkapı Palace Museum Library, H.2153, 84a, 118b.), Reza-e 'Abbasi (Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin, Inv. Nr. I.6958), or Basawan (Indian Museum, Calcutta, inv. R.307/S.81) distinguished themselves in the subject. The subject became popular in India in the early years of Jahangir's reign. In Sufism, starving horses symbolize the transitory world and are associated in particular with the decomposition of the body.