Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi (d.1020); verso: Daughters of Barzin Dance for Bahram Gur; recto: text: Bahram Gur and Barzin Shah

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
Download Image IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    1520-1530
  • Geography

    Shiraz, Iran
  • Material

    Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W: 30.8 x 18 cm (12 1/8 x 7 1/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1986.208
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1986.208

Object Details

  • Description

    Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; recto: text, Bahram Gur and Barzin Shah, four columns, nineteen lines; verso: illustration and text, Daughters of Barzin dance for Bahram Gur; one of a group of three folios.
    Border: The text and the painting are set in gold, black and grey rulings on cream-colored paper.
  • Provenance

    To at least 1935
    Emile Tabbagh, Paris, France. [1]
    1935
    Sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Collection de Monsieur Emile Tabbagh, May 20-21, 1935, no. 161. [2]
    From 1935 to 1942
    Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France, purchased at the Sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Collection de Monsieur Emile Tabbagh, May 21, 1935. [3]
    From 1942 to 1986
    Family member, Paris and Boulogne, France, by inheritance from Henri Vever, Paris and Noyers, France. [4]
    From 1986
    Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from a family member, Paris and Boulogne, France. [5]
    Notes:
    [1] The object was in the collection of Emile Tabbagh of New York and Paris, France by 1935 when it was published in the auction catalogue, Collection de M. Emile Tabbagh: Art Oriental. Paris, May 20-21, 1935. 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. 406.
    [2] See note 1.
    [3] See note 1. See also Glenn D. Lowry and Susan Nemazee, 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. 35.
    [4] See the Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection of January 9, 1986, Collections Management Office.
    [5] See note 4.
  • Collection

    Arthur M. Sackler Collection
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Henri Vever (1854-1942)
    Hotel Drouot
    Emile Tabbagh (1879-80-1933)
    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

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    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