A floral fantasy of animals and birds (Waq-waq)early 1600s · Study 2013.319

Context from the museum

A magical plant simultaneously brings forth and eats animal life in multiple forms. Playfully rendered, real and mythic creatures ripen on the vine. All stems issue from the elephant, who is about to eat the main branch, while he, in turn, emerges from one that is about to be cut by the teeth of an ibex at the lower right. This painting would have beguiled courtly connoisseurs who enjoyed discovering visual puns in a royal album. Learned viewers would note that an animal-bearing plant recalls medieval Persian stories about the mythical island of Waq-waq, inhabited by half-plant/half-animal creatures.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The dragon threatens to singe the boar’s beard.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for A floral fantasy of animals and birds (Waq-waq) is 12.5 cm wide and 19.8 cm high, equivalent to approximately 4.9 × 7.8 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.63:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.02 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 4.2% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 143.8 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With A floral fantasy of animals and birds (Waq-waq) in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 12.5 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?