The Prophet Muhammad Ascends to the Heavens Artist: Unknown

17th century

Asian Art

By appointment, Duffy Study Room

The prophet Muhammad (570–632 C.E.) rides Buraq, a fantastical beast with a horse’s body and a human head, into heaven, greeted by winged angels. Since Muslim scripture critiques figural representation, artists often shied away from depicting Muhammad. Here, the artist showed him with a golden fire emanating from his body and a white cloth covering his face. The cloth establishes a distance between viewers and the prophet, blocking (or shielding) us from the glory of his countenance. At the same time, this choice directs our gaze to his body, presenting it as an icon in a way not clearly in keeping with Islam’s reservations about idol worship.

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Dimensions

sheet: 10 5/16 × 7 1/4 in. (26.2 × 18.4 cm)
framed: 19 1/4 × 14 1/4 in. (48.9 × 36.2 cm)

Credit Line

The Vera M. and John D. MacDonald, B.A. 1927, Collection, Gift of Mrs. John D. MacDonald

Accession Number

2001.138.2

Geography

Iran

Culture

Iranian/Persian, Islamic

Period

Safavid dynasty (1501–1722)

Classification

Manuscripts

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance
Possibly Kirkor Minassian Collection, New York and Paris; Sale Collection Sevadjian, Paris, March 1961, lot 154; Vera M. MacDonald and John D. MacDonald, Boston, Mass., 1961; given to the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn., 2001
Bibliography
  • Kishwar Rizvi, "Islamic Art at the Yale University Art Gallery," Arts of Asia (March–April 2018), 101, fig. 15
Object copyright
No Copyright - United States

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