A study of exotic fowl in a bush, painted in silver and gold on brown paper. Attributed to Sultan Muhammad

This elegant little painting was only made with two colors, gold and silver, which glitter – or rather glittered – against the brown background. While the gold has retained its intensity, the silver has oxidized and become darker.

One or more fanciful plants grow from a gnarled, half-decayed tree stump or rocks, sprouting curled leaves and large composite flower heads. Four fowl-like birds sit among the plants, three apparently cocks and the fourth a hen.

This masterfully executed painting might be reminiscent of the type that was used as a margin painting around a written text, but it could also be a model for a princely bookbinding.