Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi (d.1020); recto: text; verso: right-hand half of a double-page illumination

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At A Glance

  • Period

    1341 (741 A.H.)
  • Geography

    Shiraz, Iran
  • Material

    Ink, color and gold on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W: 36 x 27.7 cm (14 3/16 x 10 7/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1986.110
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1986.110

Object Details

  • Calligrapher

    Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Husayni (known as) Mawsili
  • Patron

    Qiwam al-Dawla wa'l-Din
  • Description

    Detached folio from a dispersed copy of Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskh and thuluth script with few sentences in white outlined in black; recto: text, one column, 25 lines, verso: right-hand half of a double-page illumination, detached from the facing folio (S1986.111), text, one column, 14 lines; one of a group of 12 folios. patron: Qiwam al-Dawla wa'l-Din
    Border: The recto and verso are set in red and black rulings mounted on cream-colored paper.
  • Inscriptions

    Illuminated shamsa: "for the flourishing library of the great lord, honorable minister, chief vizier of glorious Fars, possessor of generosity, source of liberality and virtue, the second judge in place, lover of the righteous, refuge to the poor and humble, glory of pilgrims to the house of God, the venerable Hajji Qiwam al-Dawla wa'l-Din Hasan. May God prolong his greatness, and may he have divine guidance for good deeds and mercy upon his ancestors. Mercy of God upon a faithful servant." [The Persian word "fal" follows the inscription.]
  • Provenance

    Charles Vignier (1863-1934), Paris, France. [1]
    To 1942
    Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France. [2]
    From 1942 to 1986
    Family member, Paris and Boulogne, France, by inheritance from Henri Vever, Paris and Noyers, France. [3]
    From 1986
    Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from a family member, Paris and Boulogne, France. [4]
    Notes:
    [1] See Susan Nemazee, "Appendix 7: Chart of Recent Provenance" in An Annotated and Illustrated Checklist of the Vever Collection, Glenn D. Lowry et al (Washington, DC: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1988), p. 402.
    [2] See note 1.
    [3] See the Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection of January 9, 1986, Collections Management Office.
    [4] See note 3.
  • Collection

    Arthur M. Sackler Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Paintings from Shiraz (December 24, 1994 to August 27, 1995)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Henri Vever (1854-1942)
    Charles Vignier (1863-1934)
    Francois Mautin (1907-2003)
  • Origin

    Shiraz, Iran
  • Credit Line

    Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
  • Type

    Manuscript
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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