Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi (d.1020)

Manuscript; Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; Persian in black naskh script, headings in gold naskh outlined in black; 127 bound folios, 40 detached folios with 46 illustrations, and five detached text folios attached to illustration folios (quire) ; seal (folio 10 recto, 127 verso); standard page: 6 columns, 31 lines of text; one of a group of 41: the manuscript (F1930.1) and 40 detached folios (F1929.25-46, F1930.2-17 and F1940.12,13) are accessioned separately.
Binding: The manuscript is bound in red leather over paper pasteboards. The lower and upper covers both have a border of multiple fillets.

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Historical period(s)
Il-Khanid dynasty, Mongol period, early 14th century
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W x D (overall closed): 31.4 x 23.3 x 4.4 cm (12 3/8 x 9 3/16 x 1 3/4 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Gift of H. Kevorkian
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1930.1
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript

Keywords
Il-Khanid dynasty (1256 - 1353), Iran, Mongol period (1220 - 1380), naskh script, Shahnama
Provenance

To 1930
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York to 1930 [1]

From 1930
Freer Gallery of Art, given by Hagop Kevorkian, New York in 1930 [2]

Notes:

[1] Object file, undated folder sheet note. See also Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Hagop Kevorkian 1872-1962

Description

Manuscript; Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; Persian in black naskh script, headings in gold naskh outlined in black; 127 bound folios, 40 detached folios with 46 illustrations, and five detached text folios attached to illustration folios (quire) ; seal (folio 10 recto, 127 verso); standard page: 6 columns, 31 lines of text; one of a group of 41: the manuscript (F1930.1) and 40 detached folios (F1929.25-46, F1930.2-17 and F1940.12,13) are accessioned separately.
Binding: The manuscript is bound in red leather over paper pasteboards. The lower and upper covers both have a border of multiple fillets.

Published References
  • Shiva Mihan, Ali Shapouran. Shahnama Studies in the Digital Era. https://digitalorientalist.com/2022/02/15/shahnama-studies-in-the-digital-era/.
  • Marianna Shreve Simpson. The Illustration of an Epic: The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts. Outstanding Dissertations in the Fine Arts New York and London. .
  • Abolala Soudavar, Milo Cleveland Beach. Art of the Persian Courts: Selections from the Art and History Trust Collection. New York. p. 37.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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