Folio from the Nuzhatnama-yi ala'i (Excellent book of counsel) by Shahmardan ibn Abi al-khayr,

Object Details

• Author

  Shahmardan ibn Abi al-Khayr

• Description

  Detached folio from a dispersed copy of Nuzhatnama-yi ala'i (Excellent book of counsel) by Shahmardan ibn Abi al-Khayr; text: Persian in black and red naskh script; recto: illustration and text: cock pheasant,16 lines; verso: illustration and text: duck, their habitat and mating rituals;16 lines; one of a group of three folios.

• Provenance

  By at least 1928-?

  Demotte Inc., New York, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  About 1929-1946

  Ownership information unknown

  By at least 1946-1947

  Heeramaneck Galleries, New York, method of acquisition unknown [2]

  From 1947

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Heeramaneck Galleries, New York [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See E. Blochet, “Catalog of an Exhibition of Persian Paintings from the XIIth to the XVIIIth cent., formerly from the Collections of the Shahs of Persia and the Great Moguls, held at the Galleries of Demotte, inc.” [catalog] (Demotte Inc.: New York, 1928), cat. 46, pp. 6, 20.

  [2] See copy of July 27, 1946 Heeramaneck Galleries letter in object file listing items delivered to Freer Gallery of Art for examination. Last item listed notes: “1. A leaf from a Persian manuscript on the Marvels of Nature, on one side of the leaf a duck & the other side a rooster with spread wings on the point of taking off for flight. Persian 15th century”.

  [3] See object file for copy of Heeramaneck Galleries invoice to Freer Gallery of Art, dated September 24, 1947, and marked approved on February 25, 1947.

  Research updated February 8, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Demotte, Inc.

  Heeramaneck Galleries (active 1928-1964)

• Origin

  Iran

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Manuscript

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Name

  Demotte, Inc., Heeramaneck Galleries

• Topic

  Art, Timurid period (1378 - 1506), Pheasant, Arts of the Islamic World, Ducks

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians

• Language

  Naskh script

• Object Type

  Manuscripts