Folio from a Divan (collected poems) by Hafiz (d. 1390); recto: text: Poem of the contentment of heart and soul; verso: illustration and text, Prince entertained on a terrace

Object Details

• Calligrapher

  Sultan Muhammad Nur

• Artist

  Shaykhzade

• Description

  Detached folio from a bound copy of Divan (collected poems) by Hafiz (F1932.45) with selections from the work of Ibn Yamin, Omar Khayyam, and Nizami in the margins; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; recto: text: two columns, 9 lines, and marginal verses; verso: illustration and text, Prince entertained on a terrace; one of a group of 9 detached folios (F 1932.46-54) from the bound manuscript (F 1932.45); accessioned separately.

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

• Label

  Among the most popular compositions in Persian manuscripts are those of elegantly dressed figures feasting in outdoor settings. Inspired by the ancient Persian ritual of bazm--a form of celebration with wine and music--these paintings and drawings are used to illustrate a number of different literary concepts and ideas.

  "Prince Entertained in a Garden," one of four illustrations of a Divan of Hafiz (died 1209), recalls a bazm ceremony. Seated in front of an elaborate tent, an elegant figure and his companions are conversing, drinking, and listening to music. Unlike the previous painting, the image of this princely gathering is a free interpretation of Hafiz's couplet, which reads:

  The rose without the beloved's cheek is not pleasant,

  Without wine, spring is not pleasant.

  Hafiz makes no specific mention of a festive gathering, musicians, or a tent, but the artist has used the concept of bazm to evoke pictorially some of the poem's abstract concepts and literary ideas.

• Provenance

  To 1931

  Claude Anet (1868-1931), Paris to 1931 [1]

  1932

  Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), acquired in Paris, March 21, 1932 [2]

  From 1932

  Freer Gallery of Art, puchased from Hagop Kevorkian in 1932 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Object file, folder sheet note.

  [2] See Hagop Kevorkian's letter to Mr. Lodge, dated March 25, 1932 Paris, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [3] Object file, undated folder sheet note. See also Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)

  Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art (September 27, 1985 to November 17, 1986)

  Near Eastern Ceramics (June 24, 1982 to September 23, 1982)

  Near Eastern Ceramics (May 14, 1981 to May 10, 1985)

  Art of the Court of Shah Tahmasp (December 16, 1979 to August 14, 1980)

  Art of the Near East (August 21, 1977 to December 14, 1979)

  Ceramics from the World of Islam (January 16, 1974 to July 1, 1974)

  Near Eastern Art—Paintings, Pottery (August 18, 1967 to February 10, 1972)

  Near Eastern Art (June 5, 1964 to August 18, 1967)

  Persian Art (January 1, 1963 to September 3, 1963)

  Special Exhibition Afghanistan (September 3, 1963 to June 5, 1964)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, Pottery, Metalwork, and Glass (April 12, 1955 to November 21, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Arts, 1947 (October 6, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Paintings (May 1, 1945 to September 25, 1947)

  Untitled Exhibition, Persian Paintings and Ceramics (May 5, 1933 to January 9, 1945)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Claude Anet (1868-1931)

  Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962)

• Origin

  Herat, Afghanistan

• 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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  collections.si.edu

• Date

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• Name

  Anet, Claude, Kevorkian, Hagop

• Place

  Afghanistan, Herat

• Topic

  S?afavid dynasty, 1501-1736, Rites and ceremonies, Divan, Prince, Art, Food habits, Arts of the Islamic World, Illumination, Poetry, Gardens, Spring

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians

• Object Type

  Manuscripts