AN ILLUSTRATED FOLIO FROM A DISPERSED SHAHNAMA BY FERDOWSI: AN AUDIENCE IN A GARDEN
Turkman Provincial School, possibly Shiraz or Western Iran, 15th century

Persian manuscript on paper with black ink and opaque pigments heightened with gold, the verso with four columns of 5ll. of black ink nasta'liq script and an illustration depicting an outdoor audience with a prince seated against colorful cushions giving the word to an envoy knelt in front of him holding a golden cup, to the left two further envoys standing in front of an attendant with a red pointy hat and a long sword, to the right a harpist and drummer providing musical entertainment to the scene, the pictorial style embracing the standards of Turkmen provincial schools, the recto with four columns of 25ll. of black ink nasta'liq script and a title heading with 2ll. of blue ink reading 'Nouruz departs for the land of Khorasan to fight Turkan', set within gold and blue rules, mounted on a white cardboard frame, the folio 22.7cm x 15cm, 36cm x 26cm including the mount.