Folio from a Habib al-siyar (The beloved of virtues) by Khvandamir (d. 1534-37); recto: Nushirwan enthroned; verso: illumination

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At A Glance

  • Period

    circa 1590-1600
  • Geography

    Qazvin, Iran
  • Material

    Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W: 38.7 x 23.8 cm (15 1/4 x 9 3/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1986.201
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1986.201

Object Details

  • Description

    Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Habib al-siyar (The beloved of virtues) by Khwandamir; recto: Nushirwan enthroned; verso: illumination.
    Border: The painting is set in gold, red, and blue rulings on an illuminated page with floral, bird, and animal motifs.
  • Inscriptions

    On the tile spandrels in the background: Qaroon halak shud ke [?] dar khaneh ghanj dast/ Nushirvan namurd ke nam-i neku ghozasht
    "Qaroon passed away though he had forty houses of treasure/ while Noushirwan's fame did not die because he left a good name."
  • Provenance

    To 1909
    Léonce Rosenberg (1879-1947), Paris, France. [1]
    From 1909 to 1942
    Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France, purchased from Léonce Rosenberg, Paris, France on December 21, 1909. [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. 405. See also Glen D. Lowry and Susan Nemazee, "Appendix 2: Ledger of Acquisitions, 1894 and 1907-17" in A Jeweler’s Eye: Islamic Arts of the Book from the Vever Collection (Washington, DC: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1988), p. 229.
    [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

    Fashioning an Empire: Safavid Textiles from the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (December 18, 2021 to May 15, 2022)
    Queensland Art Gallery permanent gallery (November, 2006 to November, 2009)
    Permanent Gallery Exhibition, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia, 11/2006-11/2009 (November 2006 to November 2009)
    L'Age d'or des sciences arabes (October 25, 2005 to March 19, 2006)
    Crushed Lapis and Burnished Gold: The Art of Illumination (June 9 to December 8, 1991)
    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)
    Léonce Rosenberg (1879-1947)
    Francois Mautin (1907-2003)
  • Origin

    Qazvin, 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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