In the seventeenth century, a celebrated floral style developed under the Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan that manifested itself in painting, textiles, architecture, and gardens. Influenced by Persian aesthetics and inspired by European herbals, the basic motif was a formal, blossoming plant. Sometimes rather fantastic and decorative, as in this panel, the artist has created an imaginary hybrid of lilies and iris, the lithe, sinuous stems barely able to support their lush, full blossoms.