Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi (d.1020); recto: left-hand half of a double-page illumination; verso: text: Discourse in praise of wisdom, The creation of the world and the nature of man

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 the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in white thuluth script outlined in black and black naskh script; recto: left-hand half of a double-page illumination, detached from the facing folio (S1986.110), one column, 10 lines; verso: text: Discourse in praise of wisdom, The creation of the world and the nature of man, four columns, 22 lines; one of a group of 12 folios. Patron: Qiwam al-Dawla wa'-Din

  Border: The recto and verso are set in red, blue and black rulings mounted on cream-colored paper.

• Inscriptions

  Illuminated shamsa: The book of Shahnama; from the sayings of the king of wisdom, the sultan of poets, Abu'l-Qasim Muhammad al-Firdawsi al-Tusi, peace be upon him. At the end of the auspicious month of God, Ramadan, may its glory extend to all, the year seven hundred and forty-one of the Hegira [A.D. February 1341]. Mercy and peace of God upon Muhammad and his descendants, the good and pure, all of them.

• 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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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Mautin, Francois Albert, Vignier, Charles, Vever, Henri

• Place

  Shiraz

• Topic

  Art, Henri Vever collection, Inju dynasty (1335 - 1357), Arts of the Islamic World, Mongol period (1220 - 1380), Shahnama

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians

• Object Type

  Manuscripts