Tumanba Khan, His Wife, and His Nine Sons, Chingiznama folio

What it is

This is an illustrated folio from a Chingiznama, or Book of Genghis Khan, painted around 1596 by Basawan. The painting is made of ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. It is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and was given through the Francis M. Weld Gift in 1948. The folio has Persian calligraphic text in blocks and gold-bordered margins.

The central scene shows a seated couple on a raised golden throne platform, surrounded by courtiers and servants bearing dishes. Figures on horseback and a building with a balcony appear at the edges.

Why it matters

The folio shows how Genghis Khan's family was remembered in Mughal-era book painting, roughly 170 years after his death. Its courtly setting shows the luxury and order that later painters associated with the Mongol line. The painting reflects the taste of its artists and patrons rather than the Khan's own world.

Look closer

• Who sits at the centre of the scene, and how does the artist show their rank?
• What do the servants and dishes suggest about the court the painter imagined?
• What does this courtly scene leave out about the warfare that made the Mongol family famous?