Folio from a Habib al-siyar (The beloved of virtues) by Khvandamir (d. 1534-37); recto: Nushirwan enthroned; verso: illumination

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Habib al-siyar (The beloved of virtues) by Khwandamir; recto: Nushirwan enthroned; verso: illumination.
Border: The painting is set in gold, red, and blue rulings on an illuminated page with floral, bird, and animal motifs.

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Historical period(s)
Safavid period, circa 1590-1600
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 38.7 x 23.8 cm (15 1/4 x 9 3/8 in)
Geography
Iran, Qazvin
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1986.201
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Detached manuscript folio

Keywords
Henri Vever collection, history, illumination, Iran, king, Nushirvan, pavilion, Safavid period (1501 - 1722)
Provenance

To 1909
Léonce Rosenberg (1879-1947), Paris, France. [1]

From 1909 to 1942
Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France, purchased from Léonce Rosenberg, Paris, France on December 21, 1909. [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. 405. See also Glen D. Lowry and Susan Nemazee, "Appendix 2: Ledger of Acquisitions, 1894 and 1907-17" in A Jeweler’s Eye: Islamic Arts of the Book from the Vever Collection (Washington, DC: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1988), p. 229.

[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
Léonce Rosenberg 1879-1947
Francois Mautin 1907-2003

Description

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Habib al-siyar (The beloved of virtues) by Khwandamir; recto: Nushirwan enthroned; verso: illumination.
Border: The painting is set in gold, red, and blue rulings on an illuminated page with floral, bird, and animal motifs.

Inscription(s)

On the tile spandrels in the background: Qaroon halak shud ke [?] dar khaneh ghanj dast/ Nushirvan namurd ke nam-i neku ghozasht

"Qaroon passed away though he had forty houses of treasure/ while Noushirwan's fame did not die because he left a good name."

Published References
  • Henry René d'Allemagne. Du Khorassan au pays des Backhtiaris, trois mois de voyage en Perse. Paris. vol. 2: p. 172.
  • The Hague. Catalogus tentoonstelling van Islamische kunst. cat. 27, p. 22.
  • 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. 211, pp. 190-191.
  • L'Age d'or des sciences arabes: Exposition présentée a l'Institut du monde arabe, Paris, 25 octobre 2005-19 mars 2006. Exh. cat. Arles and Paris. cat. 144, p. 269.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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