Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi (died 1020); recto: text and illustration: Kay Khusraw crossing the sea; verso: text

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskh script; heading in red; recto: illustration and text: Kay Khusraw crossing the sea, 6 columns, 20 lines; verso: text: 6 columns, 30 lines; one of a group of 7 folios.

Historical period(s)
Inju dynasty, Mongol period, 1341 (741 A.H.)
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 13.3 x 24.1 cm (5 1/4 x 9 1/2 in)
Geography
Iran, Shiraz
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1942.12
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
Afrasiyab, Inju dynasty (1335 - 1357), Iran, Kay Khusraw, Mongol period (1220 - 1380), naskh script, Shahnama
Provenance

To 1919
Unknown owner, Persia, to 1919 [1]

From 1919 to 1942
Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc., New York received from Persia in 1919 [2]

From 1942
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc., New York, in 1942 [3]

Notes:

[1] According to Curatorial Remark 3, G.D.G, 1942, in the object record: the manuscript "from which the two leaves (F1942.11, F1942.12) were taken was brought to Mr. Kelekian from Persia in 1919."

[2] See note 1. Also, see Freer Gallery or Art Purchase List after 1920, Collections Management Office.

[3] See note 2.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc.

Description

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskh script; heading in red; recto: illustration and text: Kay Khusraw crossing the sea, 6 columns, 20 lines; verso: text: 6 columns, 30 lines; one of a group of 7 folios.

Label

The Shahnama (Book of kings) was completed by the poet Firdawsi in about 1010 and consists of some fifty thousand verses.  Recounting Iran's mythical and historical past--from the rule of the legendary Pishdadian dynasty (when time began) to the fall of the Sasanian dynasty in 651--Firdawsi's epic represents the most popular illustrated text in the Islamic world.

The painting on view is from one of the earliest surviving copies of the Shahnama, completed during the rule of the Inju dynasty (1325-53) in Iran's southern province of Fars. It depicts the mythical Persian king Kay-Khusraw, whose long and bitter conflict with Afrasiyab, the king of Turan (lands to the east of Iran), embodies one of the text's central themes--the battle between good and evil.  During one of his many campaigns to vanquish his enemy, Kay-Khusraw crosses the sea and arrives at a place known as the "Lion's Mouth," where he observes lions fighting oxen in the waves, men with hair like lassos, a fish with a leopard's head, and a crocodile with the head of an onager. Such lively descriptive passages, mixing fact and fantasy, offered artists ample opportunity to exhibit their creative talents.

Published References
  • Lincoln Paine. The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World. New York. .
  • Janine Sourdel-Thomine. Die Kunst des Islam. Propyläen-Kunstgeschichte Berlin. fig. 274.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Exhibition of 2500 Years of Persian Art. Exh. cat. Washington, 1971. cat. 10.
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.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects