Oliver White
Head of Department
Lot 14•
Firdausi, Shahnama, The Book of Kings, illustrated with 31 miniatures Provincial Mughal, probably the Deccan, 17th Century
8 April 2014, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £12,500 inc. premium
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Firdausi, Shahnama, The Book of Kings, illustrated with 31 miniatures
Provincial Mughal, probably the Deccan, 17th Century
Provincial Mughal, probably the Deccan, 17th Century
Persian manuscript on cream-coloured paper, 120 leaves, incomplete at beginning and end, 25 lines to the page written in four columns of nasta'liq script in black ink, double intercolumnar rules in gold, inner margins ruled in colours and gold, headings written in nasta'liq script in red within rectangular panels, lacking catchwords except for a few, one illuminated headpiece excised from another folio and laid down over text at a later date, 31 miniatures, a few excised from another folio and laid down over text of another, many miniatures painted over text, thus resulting in cases where the story in the miniature is not related to the text, trimmed, some smudging, outer margins crudely repaired, later floral lacquer Qajar binding, covers decorated with central medallions incorporating floral sprays on a dark ground, within panels richly decorated with intertwining floral and vegetal motifs in gold on a red ground, doublures decorated with central medallions with an intertwining floral motif in gold on a dark ground, edges worn
340 x 220 mm.
340 x 220 mm.
Footnotes
The subjects of the miniatures are as follows:
1. f. 2r: An enthroned ruler receiving a delegation wearing strange headgear made of leaves.
2. f. 6r: Zuhhak enthroned.
3. f. 8v: Kaveh in procession after refusing to obey Zuhhak.
4. f. 9r: Faridun enthroned with an injured youth in foreground.
5. f. 12r: Sam, father of Zal, leading his army into battle.
6. f. 17r: Afrasiyab enthroned with Siyavush in the presence of Farangis.
7. f. 22v: Faridun ties Zuhhak before throwing him down a well (in the Shahnama Zuhhak is always shown with snakes growing out of his ears, and he meets his end hanging in a cave on Mount Damavand).
8. f. 27r: Zuhhak watching Jamshid sawn in two.
9. f. 32r: Rustam killing Suhrab
10. f. 41r: Two enthroned princes watch an equestrian display.
11. f. 46v: Kai Khusrau enthroned in a fortified castle.
12. f. 55r: Suhrab fighting Rustam for the first time.
13. f. 58v: Three chained and naked prisoners paraded before two crowned rulers in discussion.
14. f. 63r: Rustam killing the white elephant.
15. f. 66r: Farud killing Siyavush watched by two enthroned rulers.
16. f. 69r: Kai Khusrau holding a council of war.
17. f. 72r: Rustam catching his horse Rakhsh in the wild.
18. f. 75r: Iraj leading his army into battle
19. f. 78r: Kai Khusrau crossing the Jaihun (Oxus) with Farangis and Giv.
20. f. 81r: Rudabeh assist Zal to climb up to her balcony.
21. f. 84r: Rustam on his horse Rakhsh seizing Afrasiyab by the belt.
22. f. 87r: Rustam and his horse Rakhsh before an enthroned ruler.
23. f. 90r: Tahmuras enthroned flanked by courtiers wearing strange headgear made of leaves.
24. f. 90v: Hushang enthroned surrounded by courtiers wearing strange headgear made of leaves.
25. f. 97r: Faridun, father of Salm, Tur and Iraj, enthroned.
26. f. 98v: Rustam on Rakhsh holding a foe in European style armour aloft.
27. f. 101v: Sam and Zal entertained at a banquet with dancers in foreground.
28. f. 108r: An enthroned Afrasiyab with infant Kai Khusrau and Piran.
29. f. 109r: The murder of Iraj.
30. f. 114v: Rudabeh with her retinue in a landscape with a fountain in the foreground.
31. f. 119v: The enthronement of Kai Khusrau.