A LOOSE ILLUSTRATED FOLIO FROM FERDOWSI'S SHAHNAMA AND ANOTHER FROM NIZAMI GANJAVI’S HAFT PEYKAR
PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
Iran, mid to late 16th century, the textile mount late 18th century

Comprising a loose folio from the Shahnama, Persian manuscript on paper, the black ink nasta’liq verses arranged in four columns ending the sixth book of Ferdowsi's Book of Kings with the coronation of Bahram, the illumination in opaque polychrome pigments and gold featuring the Persian king slaying lionesses with a gold mace, standing in front of a hexagonal gold throne on a hill, cautious and amazed observers viewing from a safe distance, dated 975 AH (1567), set in polychrome and gold rules, in joined brocade pink silk mount, woven with repeating rows of parrots and flowering trees, framed and glazed, the text page 23cm x 15cm, 41cm x 31cm including the frame; and another, extracted from the Haft Peykar in the Panj Ganj of Nizami Ganjavi, relating to the story of Bahram at the Palace of Khovarnagh after the killing of the dragon, the poetry arranged in four columns of black ink nasta’liq script, the illustration in polychrome opaque pigments and gold, featuring the dismounted king slaying the dragon, observed by cautious courtiers similarly to the previous illustration, set in a paper mount, framed and glazed, the text panel 21cm x 13.2cm, 30.5cm x 22.5cm including the frame.