Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi (d.1020); recto: Siyawush cleaves an onager into equal halves while hunting with Afrasiyab; verso: text, Piran’s Advice to Siyawush

Object Details

• Description

  Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskhi script; recto: illustration and text: Siyawush cleaves an onager into equal halves while hunting with Afrasiyab, 4 columns, 19 lines; verso: text: Piran's Advice to Siyawush, 6 columns, 29 lines; one of a group of 6 folios.

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

• Paper/Support

  Mounted on light weight cream-colored paper

• Provenance

  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 1945

  Notes:

  [1] Undated folder sheet note. For additional information, see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

  Special Exhibition of Persian Art (May 1, 1960 to August 11, 1961)

• Previous custodian or owner

  H. Kahn Monif (died 1968)

• 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

  Monif, H. Kahn

• Topic

  Art, Hunting, Arts of the Islamic World, Siyavush, Il-Khanid dynasty (1256 - 1353), Shahnama

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians, Afrasiyabs

• Language

  Naskh script

• Object Type

  Manuscripts