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

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 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.

• 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.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

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

  Near Eastern Art (June 15, 1973 to May 7, 1975)

  2500 Years of Persian Art—Paintings, Metalwork (February 10, 1972 to June 15, 1973)

  Near Eastern Art (January 1, 1963 to August 18, 1967)

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

  Special Exhibition (February 9, 1954 to April 20, 1954)

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

  Untitled Exhibition, Persian Manuscripts (May 5, 1933 to September 22, 1947)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc.

• Origin

  Shiraz, 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

  Dikran G. Kelekian, Inc.

• Place

  Shiraz

• Topic

  Art, Kay Khusraw, Inju dynasty (1335 - 1357), Arts of the Islamic World, Mongol period (1220 - 1380), Shahnama

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians, Afrasiyabs

• Language

  Naskh script

• Object Type

  Manuscripts