A winged spirit on a composite horse, with attendants, visits a Hindu shrine

The main focus of this painting is a winged female spirit (peri) riding a horse composed of other spirit beings. These female spirits are encountered primarily in the art and literature of the Islamic world, so it is unusual to see one of them worshiping at a Hindu shrine, which is depicted at the upper left. The icon at the center of the shrine is a four-faced emblem of the Hindu god Shiva. Facing the icon is an image of the bull Nandi, Shiva's faithful animal mount. The artist has combined in this painting Hindu subject matter (Shiva worship can be seen in several other paintings along this wall) with Islamic figural types. The tall headgear worn by the female spirits is typically associated with Muslims. Creatures, made up of parts of real or imaginary animals or other beings, are encountered in some of the earliest South Asian artistic traditions. Some time around the 1400s, complex versions began to appear in paintings, particularly as mounts for human or mythical riders. Such composites were not unique to any one region or cultural area although their form and symbolism did vary.