Explore remarkable studies of Indian and exotic birds commissioned by Lady Impey around 1780.
Standing up to a metre tall, the Grey Heron is a wading bird found throughout Europe and Asia including the Indian subcontinent. It feeds in shallow water on fish, frogs and insects. This specimen in Lady Impey’s possession is identified as anjan, one of several vernacular names for the bird. As in some other paintings by Shaikh Zain ud-Din of the larger waders, an artful undulation of the long neck allows him to accommodate it within the composition.
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
Objects from past exhibitions may have now returned to our stores or a lender. Click into an individual object record to confirm whether or not an object is currently on display. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis, so please contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular Eastern Art object.
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