Folio from a Khusraw u Shirin by Nizami; verso: Shirin visits the sculptor Farhad at work; recto: text

Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
-
Period
ca. 1400 -
Geography
Iran -
Material
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper -
Dimension
H x W: 26.1 x 17.6 cm (10 1/4 x 6 15/16 in) -
Accession Number
F1931.35 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1931.35
Object Details
-
Calligrapher
Ali ibn Hasan al-Sultani -
Description
Detached folio from the Khusraw u Shirin by Nizami; text: Persian in black nasta’liq script; recto: text, 4 columns, 23 lines; verso: illustration: Shirin visits the sculptor Farhad at work; one of a group of 7 detached folios (F1931-37) from the manuscript (F1931.29) and the book binding (F 1931.30); accessioned separately.Binding: The painting and the text are set in gold, green and blue rulings on gold-sprinkled paper. -
Label
One of the most brilliant Timurid patrons of the arts of the book was Baysunghur Mirza (died 1434), Ibrahim Sultan's brother. A superb calligrapher and poet himself, Baysunghur Mirza established a celebrated library and painting atelier in Herat and commissioned his artists to produce numerous illustrated manuscripts. Their efforts dramatically changed the course of Timurid painting. By refining and codifying the earlier Jalayrid style, they developed a distinct pictorial language that depended on carefully balanced compositions, fine draftsmanship, and a rich, vibrant palette.Shirin Visits Farhad, from one of the earliest extant illustrated copies of Nizami's celebrated love poem, displays many of these formal characteristics. Set within a carefully executed, stylized landscape, the idealized figures appear to be surrounded by a profound stillness that accentuates their formality and aloofness. Only the towering rocks, as if shaped by molten lava, convey the emotional intensity of the moment when the sculptor Farhad catches sight of his beloved Shirin, whose likeness he has chiseled into the rocks as a token of his affection. The faces were rubbed out at a later date by someone objecting to figural representation. -
Provenance
To 1931Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York to 1931 [1]From 1931Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York in 1931 [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. -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Exhibition History
In the Realm of Princes: The Arts of the Book in Fifteenth Century Iran and Central Asia (March 19 to August 7, 2005)From the Hand of Mani (January 18, 1985 to July 5, 1985)Art of the Near East (August 21, 1977 to December 14, 1979)Near Eastern Art (June 15, 1973 to May 7, 1975)2500 Years of Persian Art—Paintings, Pottery (February 10, 1972 to June 15, 1973)Near Eastern Art—Paintings, Pottery (August 18, 1967 to February 10, 1972)Near Eastern Art (June 5, 1964 to August 18, 1967)Special Exhibition (February 9, 1954 to April 20, 1954)Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Arts, 1947 (October 6, 1947 to February 25, 1956)Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts (May 1, 1945 to September 25, 1947)Untitled Exhibition, Persian Manuscripts (May 5, 1933 to September 22, 1947) -
Previous custodian or owner
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962) -
Origin
Iran -
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment -
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
-
Related Resources
-
Date
-
Name
-
Topic
-
Culture
-
Object Type