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Four Leaves from a Shahnama
(Manuscripts and Rare Books, Islamic World , Islamic Manuscripts)
These four leaves, collectively Walters W.677, come from a dispersed illustrated and illuminated manuscript of Firdawsi's Shahnamah (Book of kings), commissioned by Qawam al-Dawlah wa-al-Din Hasan, vizier to the Inju governor in Fars province. It was copied by Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Husayni in 741 AH / 1341 CE. The text is written in black Nasta'liq script with chapter headings in red, blue, and black Ta'liq script. The dispersal of the manuscript occurred in the early 14th century AH/AD 20th, and over 1/2 of its leaves are extant and housed in public and private collections. The illuminated folio with the year of the manuscript's completion and a dedication to the patron is housed in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (S1986.110 and S1986.111), and the folio with the colophon and finispiece is housed in the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Collection (IR.M. 6/I). The manuscript's illustrations have been associated with production in Shiraz. The Walters paintings are as follows: Zal joins Mihrab in battling the Turanians, Battle of the Iranians and the Turanians, Execution of Afrasiyab, and Bahram Gur in a peasant's house.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Dikran Kelekian [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2010 | Poetry and Prayer: Islamic Manuscripts from the Walters Art Museum. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1998 | Mything Persons: Historic Figures in Legends of East and West. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1988-1989 | The Royal Style. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1966-1967 | Art of Persia. Ithaca College Museum of Art, Ithaca. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 10/29/1974 | Treatment | mounted; re-housed |
| 1/27/1977 | Treatment | mounted; re-housed |
| 11/7/1984 | Treatment | examined for condition; re-housed |
| 9/16/1986 | Examination | examined for condition |
Geographies
Iran (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 14 3/8 x W: 12 in. (36.5 x 30.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
W.677
