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Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 1
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 2
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 3
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 4
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 5
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 6
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 7
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 8
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 9
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 10
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 11
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 12
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 13
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 14
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Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 16
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Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 18
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 19
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 20
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 21
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 22
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 23
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 24
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 25
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Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 27
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Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 29
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 30
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 31
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 32
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 33
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 34
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 35
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 36
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 37
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 38
Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century(39) image 39
Lot 14

Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama
North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century
(39)

Islamic and Indian Art
12 November 2024, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £3,200 inc. premium

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Thirty-nine illustrated leaves from a dispersed manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama
North India, Kashmir, mid-19th Century

Persian manuscript on paper, each leaf with 25 or 27 lines to the page written in nasta'liq script in black ink in four columns, intercolumnar rules in gold and red, inner margins ruled in gold, red and blue, headings written in nasta'liq script in red between blue ruled lines, illustrations in gouache and gold, three leaves with illuminated headpieces in colours and gold
leaves 372 x 225 mm.(39)

Footnotes

The subjects of the illustrations are as follows:

1: the opening to the Shahnama, with the bismallah and sub-headings below in red.
2: Faridun's enthronement (incorrect title, added later:'The reign of Zahhak was seven hundred years').
3: Manuchehr kills Tur (in the reign of Faridun; an episode from the Garshasp-nameh of Asadi Tusi).
4: The killing of Qala by Nariman. (Qala is a son of the Chinese Khaqan, sent by the Khaqan to fight Garshasp).
5. The simurgh delivers Zal to Sam (in the reign of Manuchehr).
6. Tahmineh before Rustam asking for revenge for Sohrab's killing (from the story of Rustam and Sohrab).
7. Zangeh-ye Shavaran before Afrasiyab (from the story of Siyavash).
8. Rustam killing Pilsam. (The text relates Siyavash being killed by Goruy, and the image is titled 'Goruy kills Siyavash'. However, in the story of Siyavash Rustam is usually depicted wearing a leopard skin, which he is not here).
9. Giv before Kay Khusraw telling him of Afrasiyab's coming. (This leaf is from the section on the events after Siyavash's death).
10. The enthronement of Kay Khusraw. (The heading reads: 'The reign of Kay Khusraw was sixty years').
11. The armies of Forud and Zarasp, son of Tus, facing each other.
12. Gudarz consults the heroes. (The text concerns the disagreement between the Iranians on whether to fight the Turanians. Gudarz does not want to fight, but Bijan disobeys and kills Piran's sons).
13. Rustam killing a dragon. (The painting depicts this, but the heading and the text describe Rustam in combat (on foot) with Ashkbus (who was indeed killed by Rustam, in the service of Afrasiyab. The leaf is from the story of Kamus Kashani).
14. Possibly: Kavus with his men sent to Kay Khusraw (which comes later in the text). However, the heading on the other side of the leaf reads 'Chinese Emperor captured'. The leaf is from the section relating to Rustam and the Khaqan of China.
15. Akvan about to throw the sleeping Rustam and his horse Rakhsh into the sea (however, the heading gets it the wrong way round, reading 'The story of Rustam lifting the monster Akvan the div up to the sky').
16. Barzu in combat with Tus (from the interpolated story of the Barzu-nameh, by Shams al-Din Muhammad Kusaj, the 15th century poet).
17. Barzu in combat on horseback with Afrasiyab.
18. Nastahin's night attack on the Iranians (from the story of the Ten Rukhs).
19. Gudarz returns to the Iranians after killing Piran (from the story of the Ten Rukhs).
20. Afrasiyab is told of Shideh's death.
21. Giv kills Saracheh, brother of Afrasiyab (a heading on the other side of the leaf reads: 'The killing of the Turanian hero named Saracheh by Giv'. The text concerns the last battle between Afrasiyab and the Iranian armies, where many Turanians are killed including Afrasiyab's son Jahn and his brother Garsivaz, after which Afrasiyab retreats).
22. Kay Khusraw and the King of Mukran going into battle (in which Mukran is killed).
23. Garsivaz sees Afrasiyab taken out of the water (from the reign of Kay Khusraw).
24. Gushtasp facing the Turanian army (though the heading reads 'Battle of Gushtasp with the king of Berber', a name which is not recorded; and the body of the text relates to Gushtasp's battle with the wolves).
25. Isfandiyar kills Bidarafsh.
26. The handcuffed Isfandiyar before Gushtasp.
27. One leaf with a painting both recto and verso: Isfandiyar kills the wolf (the text says there were two wolves, not the one depicted here); Isfandiyar kills the lion (both episoded from the story of the Haft Khan of Isfandiyar).
28. Isfandiyar kills the wolf (another image of this subject).
29. Isfandiyar kills Arjasb (an episode following the Haft Khan of Isfandiyar).
30. A leaf with an illuminated headpiece, with the bismallah below. The text relates to Gushtasp's reply to Isfandiyar's letter; the other side of the leaf is blank.
31. From the story of Rustam and Shaghad: Rustam dying in the well, killing Shaghad as he dies.
32. Aristotle advises Iskandar (in the reign of Dara, son of Darab).
33. Shapur on the throne (from the reign of Shapur, known as Dhi'l-aktaf).
34. Nushrvan is enthroned (the heading reads 'The reign of Nushirvan was forty-eight years'). Above the painting is an illuminated headpiece.
35. Nushirvan plays chess with the Indian envoy who had brought the game (the heading says that Nushirvan is losing).
36. Saveh Shah killed by Bahram-e Chubin (in the reign of Hurmuzd).
37. Bahram-e Chubina takes the throne in Mada'in (in the reign of Khusraw Parviz).
38. Bahram-e Chubineh kills Kut [Gwath] (in the reign of Khusraw Parviz).
39. Mahuy kills Yazdgerd (in fact Mahuy ordered the miller Khusraw to kill Yazdgerd, and did not kill Yazdgerd himself).


These leaves come from a dispersed manuscript of the Shahnama which included the interpolated Barzu-nameh and Garshasp-nameh, which are often found in Indian copies. Unlike many other copies where the image accompanies the event in the text, in this case, almost all of the paintings either do not go with the text or are in the middle of the relevant passage. There are also a few incorrect headings, added later. There are a few foliations in the top right and top left, done in a different hand and at different times.

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