Jamshid Writing on a Rock

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At A Glance

Period

painting 1587-1588, calligraphy ca.1540, borders ca.1605
Geography

India
Material

Opaque watercolor, ink, gold and mica on paper
Dimension

H x W (overall): 42 x 26.5 cm (16 9/16 x 10 7/16 in)
Accession Number

F1963.4
EDAN ID

edanmdm:fsg_F1963.4

Object Details

Artist

'Abd al-Samad Shirin Qalam (active late 1530s–ca. 1600)
Calligrapher

Faqir Mir Ali
Court

Mughal Court
School/Tradition

Mughal school
Label

In this painting Jamshid, the great Iranian king and hero, is shown meditating on the brevity of life, a scene that may have come from a Bustan of the poet Sa'di, where it is often illustrated. Jamshid was a moral ideal for the rulers of Mughal India. In an inscription in the manuscript in this case, the emperor Akbar (reigned 1556-1605) is referred to as "that king of Jamshid-like glory."

The painter Abd as-Samad was born in Iran, but came to India with the emperor Humayun in 1555 and served as director of the imperial painting workshops under the emperor of Akbar.
Provenance

At least ca. 1600

Jahangir (1569-1627; reign 1605-1627), by commission [1]

At least ca. 1600-1739

Mughal Library, Delhi, India, under Muhammad Shah (1702-1748; reign 1719-1748) [2]

1739-late 19th century

Imperial Library, Tehran, under Nadir Shah (1688-1747; reign 1736-1747) and subsequent rulers of Iran, Nadir Shah had paintings and manuscripts taken from the Mughal library during his invasion of Delhi, India [3]

Late 19th century-at least 1961

Ownership information unknown

At least 1961-1963

Ahmad Soheyli Kohnsari, method of acquisition unknown [4]

From 1963

National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, purchased from Ahmad Soheyli Kohnsari, through Dr. Mehdi Bayani (1906-1968) [5]

Notes:

[1] See Milo Beach, “The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court,” (Washington, DC and Ahmedabad, India: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Mapin International Inc., 2012), cat. 20F, pp. 110-112.

See also Kambiz Eslami, “Golšan Album” [encyclopedia article], from Encyclopædia Iranica, XI/1, pp. 77-79; available at https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/golsan-album (accessed online at June 27, 2024).

[2] See note 1.

[3] During the invasion of Delhi, India in 1739, Nadir Shah had luxury goods, including paintings and manuscripts, taken from the Mughal library during the reign of Muhammad Shah.

[4] See letter between Dr. Mahdi Bayani and Richard Ettinghausen, dated between November 30, 1962 and May 20, 1963, copies in the object file. The letters indicate that Ahmad Soheyli Kohnsari was the owner of this object and Dr. Mahdi Bayani was serving as their agent.

See also the incoming receipt, dated November 22, 1961, copy in object file. This object was deposited by an unknown individual on behalf of Ahmad Soheyli Kohnsari for acquisition consideration on November 22, 1961. Object is described as, “1 Shah-nameh illustration painted by Abd as-Samad Shirin Qalam in 996 H. and mounted as album leaf for Jahangir. India, Mughal Period, 1587-88.”

Ahmad Soheyli Kohnsari’s identity is unknown.

Dr. Mahdi Bayani (1906-1968) was a notable scholar and bibliophile in Tehran. Bayani was the first to publish Sultan Husayn’s letter in Persian (in Ahval va athar-i khushnivisan, Tehran, 1966). When he passed away in 1968, his library was sold.

[5] See object file for copy of invoice from Dr. Mehdi Bayani to Freer Gallery of Art, dated July 1, 1963, and marked approved on November 26, 1962. Object is described as, “Indian painting, Mughal period, 1587-88, by ‘Abd as-Samad Shirin Qalam (996 H.). [/] Verso: figure in landscape [/] Recto: calligraphy with boarder design.” Per Dr. Mehdi Bayani’s invoice and written instructions, the Freer Gallery of Art issued two checks: one to Ahmad Soheyli Kohnsari and a second for a lesser amount to Dr. Mehdi Bayani.

The object is part of the museum’s Freer Gallery of Art Collection.

Research updated June 27, 2024
Collection

Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History

Worlds within Worlds: Imperial Paintings from India and Iran (July 28 to September 16, 2012)

Arts of the Indian Subcontinent and the Himalayas (October 16, 2004 to January 3, 2016)

The Adventures of Hamza (June 26 to September 29, 2002)

At the Margins (June 4 to November 30, 1997)

South and South East Asian Art (May 9, 1993 to February 7, 2000)

The Arts of South Asia (May 13, 1985 to December 2, 1985)

The Imperial Image: Painting for the Mughal Court (September 25, 1981 to 30 March 1982)

Art of the Court of Shah Tahmasp (December 16, 1979 to August 14, 1980)

The Brush of the Masters: Drawings from India (October 14, 1978 to May 15, 1979)

Indian Art (January 1, 1963 to January 28, 1981)

Special Exhibition Afghanistan (September 3, 1963 to June 5, 1964)
Previous custodian or owner

Jahangir جهانگیر (1569-1627)

Mughal Library

Muhammad Shah (1702-1748; reign 1719-1748)

Nadir Shah (1688-1747; reigned 1736-1747)

Imperial Library (Tehran)

Ahmad Soheyli Kohnsari
Origin

India
Credit Line

Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Type

Painting
Restrictions and Rights

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