Shown here is the Buraq, a legendary four-legged creature with wings, who transported Prophet Muhammad on his miraculous journeys from Mecca to Jerusalem, and to the heavens - all in the span of one night. These journeys are known as the Isra' and Mi'raj. There is no set depiction of the Buraq or "kuda sembrani" as it is called by the Javanese. This depiction reflects the Javanese interpretation as a composite creature wearing an elaborate crown, claws for its front feet, and a peacock-like tail. This image of the Buraq is painted onto the reverse side of a piece of glass. To create the image, the artist painted details in the foreground before moving on to the background. This method, commonly referred to as "reverse glass painting", allows for the image to be viewed correctly from the other side of the glass.
