Falcon on a Perch c. 1610 Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Amber Gum tempera on paper Miniature: 12.8 x 8.9 cm (5 1/16 x 3 1/2 in.) Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.165 DID YOU KNOW? A thin coat of malachite was applied for the background. DESCRIPTION Falcons were prized participants in royal hunting expeditions, and this painting may be a portrait of a favorite bird or a gift from an ally. The bird faces left, and the talons are tied to the perch with a black string. The light green background, flowering trees, and plants provide dynamism to the composition and reveal the artist’s awareness of Persian, Mughal, or Deccani styles of painting. PROVENANCE ?-2018 Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, Beverly Hills, CA, partial sale and gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art 2018- The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH