Folio from a Zafarnama (Book of conquest) by Yazdi (d. 1450); recto: text, Samarqand receives the prince and his troops; verso: Timur’s entry into Samarqand

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of a Zafarnama (Book of conquest) by Yazdi; text: Persian in black naskhi script; recto: text: Samarqand receives the prince and his troops, 4 columns, 12 lines; verso: illustration and text: Timur’s entry into Samarqand.
Border: The text and the painting are set in red, blue, and black rulings on cream-colored paper.

Maker(s)
Calligrapher: Yaqub ibn Hasan
Historical period(s)
Timurid period, 1436
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W (paper): 25.9 x 13.2 cm (10 3/16 x 5 3/16 in)
Geography
Iran, Shiraz
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1948.18
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
Iran, naskh script, Timur, Timurid period (1378 - 1506), umbrella
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of a Zafarnama (Book of conquest) by Yazdi; text: Persian in black naskhi script; recto: text: Samarqand receives the prince and his troops, 4 columns, 12 lines; verso: illustration and text: Timur's entry into Samarqand.
Border: The text and the painting are set in red, blue, and black rulings on cream-colored paper.

Label

Some of the earliest illustrated Timurid manuscripts were dynastic and universal histories. One such work is the Zafarnama (Book of conquest) commissioned by Ibrahim Sultan (reigned 1414-34), Timur's grandson and the governor of Fars province in southern Iran. The text, which celebrates Timur's reign (1370-1405) and bolsters his dynasty's right to rule over the newly conquered territories of Iran and Central Asia, depicts the ruler hunting, feasting, and fighting-activities traditionally associated with kingship.

Published References
  • I.N. Khan Arshi. Black Taj Mahal: The Emperor's Missing Tomb. New Delhi. .
  • Sophie Curtil. L'Art par 1001 Mains. Milan and Paris. .
  • Beatrice Forbes Manz. The Legacy of Timur. vol. 2, no. 2 New York, Spring 1989. pp. 16-17, fig. 1.
  • Terence O'Donnell. Twenty-five Centuries of Persia. vol. 5, no. 3, January 1963. p. 61.
  • Basil Gray. Persian Painting. Treasures of Asia Geneva. p. 97.
  • Eleanor Sims. Ibrahim-Sultan's Illustrated Zafar-nameh. New York. pp. 176, 178, pl. 9.
  • Exhibition of Persian Art. Exh. cat. New York. p. 249.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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