A battle between the hosts of Iran and Turan during the reign of Kay Khusraw, from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) by Firdawsi

Historical period(s)
Il-Khanid dynasty, Mongol period, early 14th century
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, gold and silver on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 8.7 x 17.3 cm (3 7/16 x 6 13/16 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1929.43
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
battle, epic, horse, Il-Khanid dynasty (1256 - 1353), Iran, Kay Khusraw, Mongol period (1220 - 1380), Shahnama, sword
Provenance

To 1929
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York to 1929 [1]

From 1929
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York in 1929 [2]

Notes:

[1] Object file (F1929.25a-b), undated folder sheet note. See also Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Hagop Kevorkian 1872-1962

Published References
  • Marianna Shreve Simpson. The Illustration of an Epic: The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts. Outstanding Dissertations in the Fine Arts New York and London. pp. 71, 183, 196, fig. 67.
  • Konrad Seitz. Origins of Orchha Painting: Orchha, Datia, Panna: Miniatures from the Royal Courts of Bundelkhand (1590–1850). 1, New Delhi, 2022. p. 88, fig. 19.
  • Marianna Shreve Simpson. Manuscripts and Mongols: Some Documented and Speculative Moments in East-West/Muslim-Christian Relations. vol. 30, no. 3 Raleigh. p. 381, fig. 7.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.