The Shahnamah by Firdausi
![Detail of a pattern](https://asia.si.edu/wp-content/themes/custom/nmaa/nmaa-frontend/public/images/hero-bkgrnd-desktop.jpg)
Terms of Use
Creative CommonsAt A Glance
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Period
late 18th century -
Geography
India -
Material
Ink on paper with leather binding -
Dimension
H x W: 33.7 x 21.6 cm (13 1/4 x 8 1/2 in) -
Accession Number
F1907.277 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1907.277
Object Details
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Court
Mughal Court -
School/Tradition
Mughal school -
Provenance
?-1907Colonel Henry Bathurst Hanna (1839-1914), method of acquisition unknown [1]1907-1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Colonel Henry Bathurst Hanna [2]From 1920National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Charles Lang Freer [3]Notes:[1] Colonel Henry Bathurst Hanna (1839-1914) was an officer in the British military and a collector of Indian paintings. Born in Petersfield, Hampshire, England, Hanna’s family later moved to London, where he was baptized in 1851. Beginning in 1857, Hanna served as a commissioned officer in the Indian Army and retired with the rank of Colonel in 1889. After his retirement, he resided in London and Petersfield with his younger sisters. According to Hanna, he began collecting Indian paintings around the time of the Indian Rebellion (1857-1859). See letter from Henry Bathurst Hanna to Charles Lang Freer, dated April 10, 1908 [sic, 1907], p. 3, Box 17, Folder No. 10, Charles Lang Freer Papers, National Museum of Asian Art Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.[2] See Charles Lang Freer art voucher no. 24, “For a collection of Indo-Persian pictures and manuscripts” from H. B. Hanna of Heathmere, Petersfield, Hants. [Hampshire], England, from October 1907, Box 114, Folder No. 12, Charles Lang Freer Papers, copy in object file.[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery. This object is part of the Museum’s Freer Gallery of Art Collection.Research updated April 19, 2024 -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Bicentennial Exhibition: Near Eastern and Indian Art (December 15, 1975 to November 10, 1976) -
Previous custodian or owner
Colonel Henry Bathurst Hanna (1839-1914) (C.L. Freer source)Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) -
Origin
India -
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer -
Type
Manuscript -
Restrictions and Rights
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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