King Solomon and His Court

As in the Jewish and Christian traditions, Islam promotes the ancient king Solomon as a model ruler, wise and just. This painting celebrates one element of the considerable lore about Solomon that developed outside of orthodox scriptural accounts: the belief that Solomon’s influence was so great that he was able to rule the kingdoms of animals and angels. Images of Solomon’s court populated by all manner of creatures, celestial beings, and even demons were very popular in the court of the Ottoman rulers of Turkey; this fantastic painting, from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, appears to draw on a Turkish prototype.