Rustam slaying the white elephant with a single blow from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskh script, heading in gold naskh outlined in black; recto: Rustam slaying the white elephant with a single blow, 6 columns, 31 lines; verso: text, Rustam going to Mount Sipand, Rustam writing a letter announcing his victory to Zal, Zal’s answer to the letter, 6 columns, 31 lines; one of a group of 41: the manuscript (F1930.1) and 40 detached folios (F1929.25-34, F1929.36-46, F1930.2-17 and F1940.12-13) are accessioned separately.
Border: The recto and verso are set in red rulings on cream-colored paper.

Historical period(s)
Mongol period, early 14th century
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, gold and silver on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 9.3 x 11.6 cm (3 11/16 x 4 9/16 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1929.35
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
elephant, epic, Iran, Mongol period (1220 - 1380), Rustam, Shahnama
Provenance

To 1929
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York to 1929 [1]

From 1929
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York in 1929 [2]

Notes:

[1] Object file (F1929.25a-b), 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

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskh script, heading in gold naskh outlined in black; recto: Rustam slaying the white elephant with a single blow, 6 columns, 31 lines; verso: text, Rustam going to Mount Sipand, Rustam writing a letter announcing his victory to Zal, Zal's answer to the letter, 6 columns, 31 lines; one of a group of 41: the manuscript (F1930.1) and 40 detached folios (F1929.25-34, F1929.36-46, F1930.2-17 and F1940.12-13) are accessioned separately.
Border: The recto and verso are set in red rulings on cream-colored paper.

Published References
  • Marianna Shreve Simpson. The Illustration of an Epic: The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts. Outstanding Dissertations in the Fine Arts New York and London. pp. 65, 68, 352.
  • Raman Sukumar. The Story of Asia's Elephants. India. p. 181, fig. 7.2.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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