Folio from a Khusraw u Shirin by Nizami (d.1209); recto: Sun-burst medallion (Shamsa); verso: text and illuminated heading (sarlawh)

Detached folio from the Khusraw u Shirin from a Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami; text: Persian in black nasta’liq script ; recto: roundel (shamsa); verso: text with one main illuminated heading (sarlawh) inscribed with white ornamental “eastern kufic”; 4 columns; one of a group of 7 detached folios (F1931-37) from the manuscript (F1931.29) and the book binding (F 1931.30); accessioned separately.
Border: The recto is set in gold, green and blue rulings on gold-sprinkled paper; the verso is set in gold rulings with a blue outer frame of floral and tendril motifs on gold-sprinkled paper.

Maker(s)
Calligrapher: Ali ibn Hasan al-Sultani
Historical period(s)
Jalayirid period, ca. 1400
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 30.8 x 21.3 cm (12 1/8 x 8 3/8 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1931.37
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
eastern kufic script, illumination, Iran, Jalayirid dynasty (1340 - 1432), medallion, shamsa
Provenance

To 1931
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York to 1931 [1]

From 1931
Freer 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.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Hagop Kevorkian 1872-1962

Description

Detached folio from the Khusraw u Shirin from a Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script ; recto: roundel (shamsa); verso: text with one main illuminated heading (sarlawh) inscribed with white ornamental "eastern kufic"; 4 columns; one of a group of 7 detached folios (F1931-37) from the manuscript (F1931.29) and the book binding (F 1931.30); accessioned separately.
Border: The recto is set in gold, green and blue rulings on gold-sprinkled paper; the verso is set in gold rulings with a blue outer frame of floral and tendril motifs on gold-sprinkled paper.

Published References
  • Freer Gallery of Art. Gallery Book I: Exhibition of July 19, 1933. Washington, July 19, 1933. .
  • Sheila Blair. Islamic Calligraphy. Edinburgh. pl. 7.15.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Exhibition of 2500 Years of Persian Art. Exh. cat. Washington, 1971. cat. 7, pp. 1, 3.
  • B. W. Robinson. Fifteenth-Century Persian Painting: Problems and Issues. Hagop Kevorkian Series on Near Eastern Art and Civilization New York. p. 4.
  • Oleg Akimushkin, Priscilla P. Soucek. The Arts of the Book in Central Asia: 14th - 16th Centuries. London and Paris. pp.10, 19, 35,39, pl. 1, pl. 5.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. 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 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects