India. 17th Century CE
A composite camel with a Chinese cloud border
Ink, opaque watercolors, and gold on paper
Gift of Elinor Lander Horwitz, class of 1950
SC 2016:29-22
This intriguing painting shows a camel composed of intertwined humans, animals, and mythical creatures. These include demons and a qilin (a legendary Chinese creature) with a feline body and gold wings. Some of the characters devour each other while others appear engaged in a brawl.
Oftentimes, fantastic beasts would be used to depict mystical ideas. In this case, the composite camel represents the 
interconnectedness of being within the unity of God.
In the accompanying painting, Simurgh (fantastic bird) and three men in landscape, the simurgh is a mythical bird used as a symbol for the quest for God.
Alyina Zaidi, Mount Holyoke College, ‘17
ask
Iran. c. 1480 CE
Simurgh (fantastic bird) and three men in landscape
Ink, opaque watercolors, and gold on paper
Gift of Elinor Lander Horwitz, class of 1950
SC 2016:29-20
Composite Camel with Chinese Cloud Border
[Detailed Image Description: In the center of the painting is the outline of a seated camel containing bodies of intertwined humans, animals, and mythological creatures. Most of the bodies are colored using shades of brown. The camel is placed on top a field of gold painted vegetation. The border is made up of three different sections. The innermost comprises of a series of thin red and gold bands. The outermost band is the main border. It is wider along three sides. On the wider sides are five gold Chinese clouds on top of gold painted scrolling flowers and vines. In between the inner and outermost borders is a band along one width. It comprises of brightly painted, alternating blue and orange cartouches and pendants.]
Simurgh (Fantastic bird) and Three Men in Landscape
[Detailed Image Description: The L-shaped painting takes up one-third of the illuminated leaf. Three men, two seated and one standing, are placed in the lower half of the painting. The man in the middle is seated on a carpet. The men wear robes colored green, red, blue, brown and orange. On the left of this painting is a standing simurgh with one leg raised. The simurgh is double the size of the men. The body of the bird is green with a wing striped blue, brown, and orange. Behind these characters is a hill colored purple spotted with flowers. Behind this hill is a gold sky. On either side of the painting are couplets of Persian poetry written in black ink.]