Folio from a Makhzan al-asrar (Treasury of secrets) by Nizami (d. 1209); recto: Nushirwan listens to the owls; verso: The third article on incidents of the world and day and night reversal

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of Makhzan al-asrar (Treasury of secrets) from a Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami; text: Persian in black nasta’liq script, heading in red; recto: illustration and text: Nushirwan listens to the owls; verso: text: The third article on the incidents of the world, and day and night reversal, four columns, twenty-four lines; one of a group of two folios.
Border: recto: the painting is set in gold, black, and blue rulings on a border with colored, floral motifs; verso: the text is set in blue, gold, and red rulings on cream-colored paper.

View right to left

Historical period(s)
Safavid period, early 17th century
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 24.6 x 17.9 cm (9 11/16 x 7 1/16 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1986.165
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript, Painting
Type

Detached manuscript folio

Keywords
Henri Vever collection, Iran, king, landscape, Nushirvan, owl, Safavid period (1501 - 1722)
Provenance

Unidentified sale, 1930, no. 101. [1]

To 1942
Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France. [2]

From 1942 to 1986
Family member, Paris and Boulogne, France, by inheritance from Henri Vever, Paris and Noyers, France. [3]

From 1986
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from a family member, Paris and Boulogne, France. [4]

Notes:

[1] See Susan Nemazee, "Appendix 7: Chart of Recent Provenance" in An Annotated and Illustrated Checklist of the Vever Collection, Glenn D. Lowry et al (Washington, DC: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1988), p. 404.

[2] See note 1.

[3] See the Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection of January 9, 1986, Collections Management Office.

[4] See note 3.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Henri Vever 1854-1942
Francois Mautin 1907-2003

Description

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of Makhzan al-asrar (Treasury of secrets) from a Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami; text: Persian in black nasta’liq script, heading in red; recto: illustration and text: Nushirwan listens to the owls; verso: text: The third article on the incidents of the world, and day and night reversal, four columns, twenty-four lines; one of a group of two folios.
Border: recto: the painting is set in gold, black, and blue rulings on a border with colored, floral motifs; verso: the text is set in blue, gold, and red rulings on cream-colored paper.

Published References
  • Glenn D. Lowry, Milo Cleveland Beach, Elisabeth West FitzHugh, Susan Nemanzee, Janet Snyder. An Annotated and Illustrated Checklist of the Vever Collection. Washington and Seattle. cat. 274, p. 239.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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