Folio from a Gulistan (Rosegarden) by Sa'di; recto: text with illuminated border; verso: text with illuminated border

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    Text dated 1468, illumination added early 16th c., paintings repainted ca. 1645
  • Geography

    Present-day Afghanistan, India, and Iran
  • Material

    Ink, gold, and opaque watercolor on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W (page): 24.6 x 16 cm (9 11/16 x 6 5/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1998.5.7
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1998.5.7

Object Details

  • Calligrapher

    Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi
  • Provenance

    Shah Tahmasp (reigned 1524-1576), Persia [1]
    From at least 1558
    Akbar (reigned 1556-1605), India, from at least 1558 [2]
    Mughal Imperial Library [3]
    From at least 1644
    Jahan-ara, daughter of Shah Jahan (reigned 1628-1658), from at least 1644 [4]
    Marquis of Bute, England [5]
    To 1998
    The Art and History Trust, Liechtenstein, to 1998
    From 1998
    Freer Gallery of Art, given by the Art and History Trust in 1998 [6]
    Notes:
    [1] According to Curatorial Note 1, Massumeh Farhad, March 16, 1998, in the object record.
    [2] See note 1.
    [3] See note 1.
    [4] See note 1. Shah-Jahan, was the grandson of Akbar.
    [5] According to Curatorial Note 4 in the object record.
    [6] The Art and History Trust was established in 1991 by Abolala Soudavar and his family of distinguished bibliophiles. Gathered over a period of some thirty years, the collection is presently on long-term loan to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. However, this particular manuscript was given in honor of Ezzat-Malek Soudavar to the Freer Gallery of Art on the occasion of its seventy-fifth anniversary (see Curatorial Note 4, Massumeh Farhad, August 18, 1998, in the object record).
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)
    Worlds within Worlds: Imperial Paintings from India and Iran (July 28 to September 16, 2012)
    East of Eden: Gardens in Asian Art (February 24 to May 13, 2007)
    In the Realm of Princes: The Arts of the Book in Fifteenth Century Iran and Central Asia (March 19 to August 7, 2005)
    Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)
    Beyond the Legacy--Anniversary Acquisitions of the Freer Gallery of Art (October 11, 1998 to April 11, 1999)
    The Jewel and the Rose: Art of Shah Jahan (May 4, 1997 to January 25, 1998)
    A Mughal Hunt (March 13 to September 11, 1994)
    Art of the Persian Courts: Selections from the Art and History Trust (November 5, 1992 to April 6, 1997)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Shah Tahmasp (1524-1576)
    Akbar (reigned 1556-1605)
    Mughal Library
    The Art and History Trust
    The Art and History Trust
  • Origin

    Present-day Afghanistan, India, and Iran
  • Credit Line

    Gift of the Art and History Trust in honor of Ezzat-Malek Soudavar
  • Type

    Manuscript
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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