Your Collection

Add this item to your collection
Harvard Art Museums
Incorrect Username, Email, or Password
This object does not yet have a description.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1984.475
People
Unknown Artist
Title
Reign of Kay Kavus (recto, verso), illuminated folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama of Firdawsi
Classification
Manuscripts
Work Type
manuscript folio
Date
17th century
Places
Creation Place: South Asia, India
Culture
Indian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/216199

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
folio: 34.6 x 23.3 cm (13 5/8 x 9 3/16 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Philip Hofer
Accession Year
1984
Object Number
1984.475
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
Permissions

The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request.

Descriptions

Description
The recto and verso side of this folio features tan paper containing four columns of Persian text written in black ink and in nasta’liq script. The recto side has two text headings in blue ground spanning the middle two columns. They both contain Persian text written in gold and in thuluth script. The tan paper is bordered by red paper decorated with gold flowers. Both are pasted onto a larger blue page elaborately decorated with gold flowers, foliage, and real and fictitious beasts, such as: birds, deer, antelope, tigers, dragons, and lions. The page was part of a Shahnama (Book of Kings) by the tenth century Persian poet, Firdawsi (935-1020). The Shahnama was written in between 977 and 1010, and is considered the national epic of Iran. It tells mainly the mythical and, to some extent, the historical past of the Persian Empire, from the creation of the world until the Islamic conquest of Persia in the seventh century.

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu