Lot 47: Zeeshan Muhammad , Untitled gouache on wasli paper laid on card

signed and dated 'MUHAMMAD ZEESHAN/ 2006' on reverse gouache on wasli paper laid on card

measurements 9 3/8 by 14 in. alternate measurements 23.8 by 35.5 cm.

executed 2006
Zeeshan has used vultures in a number of his works, including the Well Directed series. In this painting, composed in two parts, he has painted one of the vultures in the classical format of a portrait of a ruler or member of the nobility. In western cultures the word 'vulture' is a metaphor for those who prey on the weak or dying, whereas in ancient Egypt the scavenging birds were venerated for the way they looked after their young. In the subcontinent they are associated with the Parsi community, who take their deceased to the Towers of Silence where their corpses would be eaten by vultures. In a twist, Zeeshan has added the white cloth, notably used by the Taliban for their turbans, into this composition. This adds to the complexity of the work, hinting at how symbols come to acquire different meanings.