These phantasmagorical images from the book Flora and Fauna in Mughal Art depict 16th-18th century patchwork amalgams of man and beast made of smaller creatures. These creatures are like the aesthetic antecedents to the Transformers and giant tokusatsu robots.
[Via A Journey Round My Skull]
Composite elephant, Mughal, c. 1600
Composite man and tiger, late Mughal, Shah Alam period, late 18th cent.
Demons and composite elephant, Murshidabad, Bengal, 18th cent.
Lady riding composite camel, Bundi, Rajasthan, c. 1750-70
Composite elephant, Mughal, reign of Akbar, c. 1590
Pashu Kunjar – Composite Camel via Exotic India Art
