Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; recto: Battle between Zanga and Awkhast; verso: text: Battle of Gurgin and Andariman

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At A Glance

  • Period

    1493-1494 (899 A.H.)
  • Geography

    Gilan, Iran
  • Material

    Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W: 34.6 x 24.3 cm (13 5/8 x 9 9/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1986.176
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1986.176

Object Details

  • Calligrapher

    Salik b. Sa'id
  • Patron

    Sultan-Ali Mirza (1478-1504)
  • Description

    Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; recto: illustration, Battle between Zanga and Awkhast; verso: text, Battle of Gorgin and Andariman, four columns, four lines; one of a group of seven folios.
    Border: The text and the painting are set in gold and black rulings on cream-colored paper.
  • Provenance

    ?-1942
    Henri Vever (1851-1942), method of acquisition unknown [1]
    1942-1947
    Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [2]
    1947-1986
    Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [3]
    From 1986
    The National Museum of Asian Art, by purchased from Francois Mautin [4]
    Notes:
    [1] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century. This object was in Vever's collection at the time of his death in 1942.
    [2] Upon Henri Vever's death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited the object. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.
    [3] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family's assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as "The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts." This object is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 3.
    [4] The Museum purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file. This work is part of the Museum’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection.
    Research updated on June 27, 2024
  • Collection

    Arthur M. Sackler Collection
  • Exhibition History

    The Shahnama: 1000 Years of the Persian Book of Kings (October 23, 2010 to April 17, 2011)
    In the Realm of Princes: The Arts of the Book in Fifteenth Century Iran and Central Asia (March 19 to August 7, 2005)
    The Heroic Past: The Persian Book of Kings (June 4 to October 29, 2000)
    Timur and the Princely Vision: Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century (April 16 to July 6, 1989)
    A Jeweler's Eye: Islamic Arts of the Book from the Vever Collection (November 20, 1988 to April 30, 1989)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Henri Vever (1854-1942)
    Francois Mautin (1907-2003)
  • Origin

    Gilan, 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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