- Provenance
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To 1945
H. Kahn Monif (died 1968), Persian Antique Gallery, New York, NY, to 1945 [1]From 1945
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from H. Kahn Monif in 1945Notes:
[1] Undated folder sheet note. For additional information, see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920, Collections Management Office.
- Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)
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H. Kahn Monif died 1968
- Description
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Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskhi script; obverse: text: The story of Khusraw and the hermit (the old astrologer greets Khusraw Parviz at the door of his hermitage), heading in gold, 6 columns, 30 lines; reverse: illustration and text: Khusraw Parviz's letter to Caesar of Rome, heading in gold, 6 columns, 22 lines; one of a group of 6 folios.
Border: The text and the painting are set in red, gold, and black rulings; the borders have been removed from the folio.
- Label
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This folio is from the Shahnama (Book of kings) of Firdawsi devoted to the life of the Sasanian king Khusraw Parviz (reigned 591-628). Like several mythical and historical Shahnama heroes before him, the king lost his right to the Persian throne to an usurper and was forced into exile. While wandering through the lands, he visits an astrologer hermit in a monastery near the Syrian city, Raqqa. The old sage foretells that Khusraw Parviz will regain the Persian throne within twelve months, a prophecy that comes true.
- Published References
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- Dr. Esin Atil. Exhibition of 2500 Years of Persian Art. Exh. cat. Washington, 1971. cat. 13, pp. 4-5.
- Marianna Shreve Simpson. The Illustration of an Epic: The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts. Outstanding Dissertations in the Fine Arts New York and London. pp. 89, 100, 108, 151, fig. 21.
- Jose Pijoan. Arte Islamico. vol. 12, Summa artis, historia general del arte, 1st ed. Madrid. p. 353, fig. 490.
- Collection Area(s)
- Arts of the Islamic World
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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Usage Conditions Apply
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-7430_36