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Illuminated Frontispiece from the Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi
(Manuscripts and Rare Books, Islamic World , Islamic Manuscripts)
The intricate sunburst pattern, or shamsa, embellished with gold and lapis lazuli, opens the story of Khusraw and Shirin, the second of the five poems of the Khamsa. The title of the book or chapter is often inscribed within the shamsa, but in this example, the illuminator, Husayn Naqqash, devoted the entire design to the display of exquisite, gem-like decoration. Hypnotic shamsa designs were a vehicle for master illuminators to display their virtuosity.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Muhammad Zaki, 1241 AH/AD 1825-1826 [mode of acquisition unknown] [oval seal, fols. 1a, 211a]; 'abd al-raji Muhammad Shafi', 1247 AH/AD 1831-1832 [mode of acquisition unknown] [rectangular seal fols. 1a, 211a]; Muhammad 'Ali [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [large oval seal with no date on fol. 211a]; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2015-2016 | Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. |
| 2005-2006 | Pearls of the Parrot of India: The Emperor Akbar's Illustrated "Khamsa," 1597-1598. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. |
Geographies
Pakistan, Lahore (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 11 1/4 x W: 7 1/2 in. (28.5 x 19 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.624.42A
