1585
Painting from the Mughal Empire
In the archives of the Art institute of Chicago, lies a richly detailed, gold embellished, watercolor painting, from around the year 1585, made in the Mughal Empire. Simply titled: ‘Prince Riding in Chariot Drawn by Goats,’ It features a pair of muscular bucks, driven in halters and yokes, at a fast trot. They have strings of bells around their necks, and unique blanket designs, which perfectly compliment each goat’s coat color. The young prince is driving confidently, one handed, from a gold trimmed cart with a tapestried dashboard.
I wanted to find out more about the history behind this wonderful scene, but sadly, I hit a dead end. I was very intrigued, though, by the size, conformation, and horn structure of the team. After some research into the larger goat breeds in the part of the world that was once in the Mughal empire, I found the impressively built Kota breed, pictured right (some are also solid, like the ones in the painting). I think it’s awesome to know that there is still a breed today which resembles the royal Mughal team from 1585.
You can see a high resolution image of the watercolor painting, at the Art Institute of Chicago website.
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