Folio from a copy of Aja'ib al-makhluqat wa ghara'ib al-mawjudat (The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence) by Zakariyya ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (d.1283); recto: Symbol of the Sun; verso: Diagram of the Eclipses of the Sun

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At A Glance

  • Period

    early 15th century
  • Geography

    Iraq or Eastern Turkey
  • Material

    Opaque watercolor, ink, gold and silver on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W (recto figure painting): 11.3 × 10.7 cm (4 7/16 × 4 3/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1954.35
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1954.35

Object Details

  • Author

    Zakariyya ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (1203-1283)
  • Label

    The sun is the fourth sphere of the heavenly regions and is the king of planets. Al-Qazvini believed that the sun played a major role in rain cycles and was instrumental in the creation of the four winds. According to Al-Qazvini 36,000 years are required for the sun to pass through all of the signs of the zodiac.
  • Provenance

    To 1945
    Friedrich Paul Theodor Sarre (1865-1945). [1]
    To 1954
    Mme. Maria Sarre, Ascona, Switzerland. [2]
    From 1954
    Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Dr. Paul Kempner, New York on behalf of Mme. Maria Sarre, Ascona, Switzerland. [3]
    Notes:
    [1] Object file F1954.33-114, undated folder sheet note 2. “The manuscript was originally acquired by Prof. Friedrich Sarre in Algiers”.
    [2] Object file F1954.33-114, undated folder sheet note 1. See also Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.
    [3] See note 2. See also invoice dated July 22, 1954 and correspondences between Dr. Paul Kempner and the Freer Gallery, dated July 21, 1954; copies in object file.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Wonders of Creation, Oddities of Existence: An Exhibition in Celebration of Halley's Comet (February 28, 1986 to October 27, 1986)
    Near Eastern Ceramics (May 10, 1985 to September 3, 1985)
    Near Eastern Ceramics (May 14, 1981 to May 10, 1985)
    Collection of Friedrich and Maria Sarre (1932)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Friedrich Paul Theodor Sarre (1865-1945)
    Mme. Maria Sarre (1875-1971)
  • Origin

    Iraq or Eastern Turkey
  • Credit Line

    Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
  • Type

    Manuscript
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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