Folio from a Sulwan al-Muta (Solace of pleasure) by Ibn Zafar; recto: text; verso: illustration: The bear and the monkeys

Object Details

• Author

  Muhammad ibn Zafar (born 1104)

• Description

  Folio from a dispersed copy of Sulwan al-muta (Solace of pleasure) by Ibn Zafar; text: Arabic in black naskh script; recto: text: 13 lines; verso: illustration and text: The bear and the monkeys, 3 lines, one of a group of 2 folios.

• Inscriptions

  Verso: "waqf" (endowment)

• Label

  Ibn Zafar, a native of Sicily, composed the Sulwan al-Muta (Solace of pleasure) in the twelfth century. The text belongs to the popular genre of animal fables, intended as moral and ethical guides for the ruling elite. Such accounts were often referred to as "mirror of princes." In this illustration, a bear has taken his friend--a monkey with failing eyesight--to the monkey-doctor, known for his malice and meanness. Rather than showing compassion toward his ailing visitor, the monkey-physician makes his patient climb a tree in order to be examined. The illustration deftly captures the subtle psychological interaction of the protagonists: under the watchful eye of the bear, the gray monkey hesitantly approaches the physician, who is comfortably perched on a branch.

• 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)

  Art of the Mamluks (May 14, 1981 to May 25, 1982)

  Art of the Arab World (May 8, 1975 to August 20, 1977)

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

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

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

• Origin

  Probably Egypt

• 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.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  ibn Zafar, Muhammad

• Place

  Egypt

• Topic

  Trees, Art, Animals, Mamluk period (1250 - 1517), Arts of the Islamic World, Monkeys, Bears

• Culture

  Muslims

• Language

  Naskh script

• Object Type

  Manuscripts