Folio from a Falnama (Book of omens); recto: blank; verso: Angels bow before Adam and Eve in Paradise

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    mid 1550s-early 1560s
  • Geography

    Qazvin, Iran
  • Material

    Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W: 59.3 x 44.5 cm (23 3/8 x 17 1/2 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1986.254
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1986.254

Object Details

  • Description

    Folio from a dispersed copy of Falnama (Book of omens); text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; recto: blank; verso: illustration: Angels bow before Adam and Eve in Paradise; one of a group of twenty folios.
    Border: The painting has occupied the full width of the page.
  • 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

    Falnama: The Book of Omens (October 24, 2009 to January 24, 2010)
    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

    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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