Folio from Tarikhnama (Book of history) by Bal’ami (d. circa 992-997): the election of ‘Othman as the caliphate of Medina

Folio WITHIN a bound copy – F1947.19 – of Tarikhnama (Book of history) by Bal’ami, volume II; Folio 79 accessioned separately as (F1930.21.1); recto: text: Capture of Kerman, one column, 33 lines of text; verso: text: Capture of Sahkistan and Mukran, one column, 33 lines of text.

Folio 84 accessioned separately as (F1930.21.2); recto: illustration and text: The election of ‘Othman as the caliphate of Medina, one column, 22 lines of text; verso: text: ‘Othman sends governors to provinces, one column, 33 lines; Persian in black naskhi script; headings in red; bound with manuscript F1947.19; accessioned separately. One of a group of 3: volume I (F1957.16), volume II (F1947.19) and bound folios 79, 84 (F1930.21.1-2) are all accessioned separately.

Border: The text and the painting are set in green, black, and gold rulings on beige-colored paper.

Historical period(s)
Il-Khanid dynasty, ca. 1300
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 9.4 x 17.3 cm (3 11/16 x 6 13/16 in)
Geography
Probably Iraq
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1930.21.1-2
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
Balami, Caliph, history, Il-Khanid dynasty (1256 - 1353), Iraq, naskh script, sword, Tarikhnama
Provenance

To 1930
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York to 1930 [1]

From 1930
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York in 1930 [2]

Notes:

[1] Object file, 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

Description

Folio WITHIN a bound copy - F1947.19 - of Tarikhnama (Book of history) by Bal'ami, volume II; Folio 79 accessioned separately as (F1930.21.1); recto: text: Capture of Kerman, one column, 33 lines of text; verso: text: Capture of Sahkistan and Mukran, one column, 33 lines of text.

Folio 84 accessioned separately as (F1930.21.2); recto: illustration and text: The election of 'Othman as the caliphate of Medina, one column, 22 lines of text; verso: text: 'Othman sends governors to provinces, one column, 33 lines; Persian in black naskhi script; headings in red; bound with manuscript F1947.19; accessioned separately. One of a group of 3: volume I (F1957.16), volume II (F1947.19) and bound folios 79, 84 (F1930.21.1-2) are all accessioned separately.

Border: The text and the painting are set in green, black, and gold rulings on beige-colored paper.

Published References
  • Richard Ettinghausen, Ernst Kuhnel. A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present. 6 vols., London and New York, 1938 - 1939. vol. V: plate 816B.
  • Freer Gallery of Art. Gallery Book II: Exhibition of August 19, 1933. Washington, August 19, 1933. .
  • Philipp Walter Schulz. Die Persisch-Islamische Miniaturmalerei: Ein Beitrag zur Kunstgeschichte Irans. 2 vols, Leipzig. vol. 1: p. 74, pls. H-K, 2.
  • , Eva Baer, David Nicolle, Barbara Schmitz, Oliver Watson. The Art of the Saljuqs in Iran and Anatolia. Costa Mesa, California. fig. 159 (folio 109a).
  • Rachel Milstein. Biblical Themes in Islamic Painting., 1st ed. Paris. figs. 30, 31.
  • Georges Marteau, Henri Vever. Miniatures Persanes: tirees des collections de M.M. Henry d'Allemagne, Claude Anet, Henri Aubrey... 2 vols., Paris, June-October 1912. cat. 52, 53, 54, vol. 1.
  • A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present. 15 vols., , Reissue with corrigenda and addenda. London and New York. vol 3, p. 1833; vol. 5, p. 2237 note 12, vol. 9, pl. 816B.
  • Hagop Kevorkian. Special Exhibition: The Arts of Persia and Other Countries of Islam: H. Kevorkian Collection. New York, April 22 - May 15, 1926. opp. p. 3.
  • Hagop Kevorkian. Exhibition of the Kevorkian Collection Including Objects Excavated Under His Supervision. New York. cat. 255.
  • Teresa Fitzherbert. Bal'ami's Tabari: An Illustrated Manuscript of Bal'ami's Tarjama-yi Tarikh-i Tabari in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington. 2 vols. University of Edinburgh. vol.1: pp. 208-211, vol. 2: pl. 35.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Islamic Women as Rulers and Patrons. vol. 5, no. 2 New York, Spring 1993. pp. 4-5, fig. 1.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Exhibition of 2500 Years of Persian Art. Exh. cat. Washington, 1971. cat. 9, p. 4.
  • Claude Anet. Exhibition of Persian Miniatures at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs. vol. 22, no. 115 London, October 1912. pp. 11, 15, D, no. 115.
  • Kurt Holter. Die Islamischen Miniaturhandschriften vor 1350. Leipzig. cat. 38, p. 16.
  • Na'ama Brosh, Rachel Milstein. Biblical Stories in Islamic Painting. Exh. cat. Jerusalem. pp. 30, 35-6, 38.
  • Eric Schroeder. Persian Miniatures in the Fogg Museum of Art. Cambridge, Massachusetts. p. 31.
  • Laurence Binyon, J.V.S. Wilkinson, Basil Gray. Persian Miniature Painting: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Miniatures Exhibited at Burlington House, January-March 1931. Exh. cat. Oxford, January - March 1931. p. 31.
  • Edgar Blochet. Les Enluminures des Manuscrits Orientaux: Turcs, arabes, persans de la Bibliotheque Nationale. Paris. pp. 53, 181, pls. 1, 2.
  • C.A. Storey, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Persian Literature: A Bio-Bibliographical Survey. 3 vols., London. p. 63.
  • H. Buchtal, O. Kurz, Richard Ettinghausen. Supplemantary Notes to K. Holter's Check List of Islamic Illuminated Manuscripts before A.D. 1350. vol. 7, no. 2 Ann Arbor. p. 154, no. 38.
  • Content and Context of Visual Arts in the Islamic World. Monographs in the Fine Arts, no. 44 University Park, Pennsylvania and London. pp. 195-198.
  • Iranian Institute of America. Guide to the Exhibition of Iranian Art. Exh. cat. New York. p. 235, case 3c.
  • Islamic Art and Archaeology: Collected Papers. Berlin. pp. 244-268, 284-285, fig. 2.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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