Hunting Scene

Date16th century

Label TextFor thousands of years, a man’s power and prestige were closely linked to his skill at the hunt. In Islamic art, scenes of society’s elite at play regularly included images related to this brutal yet refined pastime. While it may appear strangely contemporary to our eyes, guns (such as the one wielded by the hunter in the upper right of the Hunting Scene) had been imported to Persia from Venice as early as the mid-15th century. By the 16th century, gun use was widespread in both hunting and battle contexts.

A hunt was one of the most popular pastimes of the aristocracy in the Islamic world. Hunting skill was closely associated with power and privilege and considered an indicator of military prowess. This association lasted for thousands of years in the Near East and dates back as far as the Assyrian, Achaemenid, and Sassanian empires. Hunting scenes are particularly prevalent in Islamic art. Images often portray animals in combat or battles between animals and men. These scenes are found in a variety of media, including textiles, ceramics, metalwork, ivory, monumental painting and manuscript painting.

Object number47.18

Photo CreditPhoto: Paul Macapia

Published ReferencesRogers, Millard B. "Engagement Book: Iranian Art in the Seattle Art Museum," Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum, 1972, fig. 43.

Credit LineEugene Fuller Memorial Collection

Dimensions23 1/8 x 19 1/8 in.

MediumOpaque watercolor and gold on paper