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

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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  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

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1500s, 1590s, 1540s, 1530s, 1520s, 1510s, 1580s, 1730s, 1570s, 1560s, 1550s, 1610s, 1600s, 1650s, 1640s, 1400s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1680s, 1670s, 1660s

• Name

  The Art and History Trust, Shah Tahmasp, Mughal Library, Akbar

• Place

  Afghanistan, India

• Topic

  Rabbits, Art, Mughal dynasty (1526 - 1858), Birds, Flowers, Gulistan, Dragon, S?afavid dynasty, 1501-1736, Peacock, Animals, Roses, Timurid period (1378 - 1506), Arts of the Islamic World, Illumination

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians

• Object Type

  Manuscripts