The hero Gushtasp slaying a dragon, from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi

Object Details

• Description

  Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskh script, heading in gold naskh outlined in black; recto: text, 6 columns, 31 lines; verso: illustration and text, The hero Gushtasp slaying a dragon, 6 columns, 31 lines; one of a group of 40: the manuscript (F1930.1) and 39 detached folios (F1929.25-45, F1929.47, F1930.2-17, F1940.13) are accessioned separately.

  Border: The painting and the text are set in red rulings on cream-colored paper.

• 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.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962)

• Origin

  Iran

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Manuscript

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Kevorkian, Hagop

• Topic

  Art, Gushtasp, Arts of the Islamic World, Heroes, Mongol period (1220 - 1380), Dragon, Il-Khanid dynasty (1256 - 1353), Shahnama, Epic literature

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians

• Object Type

  Manuscripts