Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) by Firdawsi (d.1020); recto: Iskandar and Khidr on horseback; verso: text, Iskandar seeks the fountain of life

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At A Glance

  • Period

    circa 1590-1600
  • Geography

    Shiraz, Iran
  • Material

    Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W: 32.4 x 20.4 cm (12 3/4 x 8 1/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1986.272
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1986.272

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: Iskandar and Khidr on horseback; verso: text, Iskandar seeks the fountain of life, four columns, twenty-five lines; one of a group of twenty-five folios.
    Border: The text is set in gold, red, and blue rulings on cream-colored paper; the painting is set in gold, red, and blue rulings on paper with landscape and animal motifs.
  • Inscriptions

    On the banner: help from God and present victory, sura LXI: 13
  • Provenance

    To 1910
    Reza Khan Monif, Paris, France. [1]
    From 1910 to 1942
    Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France, purchased from Reza Khan Monif, Paris, France on October 14, 1910. [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. 407. 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. 230.
    [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

    Islamic Representations of the Classical Past (February 14 to May 13, 2018)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Henri Vever (1854-1942)
    Reiza Khan Monif (1850/1851-1923)
    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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