Details

Library of Congress genre(s)

• Poetry [Browse]

Getty AAT genre

• Headpieces (layout features)—Islamic countries—17th century [Browse]
• Illuminated manuscripts—Islamic countries—17th century [Browse]

Summary note

Illuminated copy of the Shāhnāmah, containing 119 average-quality miniatures likely of the late 18th century. Preceded by the "older preface" on fol. 1b-5a.

Notes

• Ms. codex.
• Title supplied by cataloger.
• Physical description: 25 lines per page, in four columns; written in small nastaʻliq in black on tan glazed, laid Arabic paper. Text occasionally written on a diagonal. Text framed in gold and blue; columns separated by double gold lines. Headings in red. Catchwords and a few marginal notes. Inserts between fol. 9-10, 26-27. Some damp staining and smudging; a few paper repairs, particularly on last two leaves. Otherwise in excellent condition.
• Decoration: ʻUnwāns for the preface and book 1 illuminated in gold and color. With 119 miniatures, of which fifteen are full-size; likely late 18th century.
• Origin: Copy completed on 1 Shaʻbān 1085 H [31 October 1674] (fol. 561a).

Binding note

Rebound in leather with title and date tooled in gold on spine.

Language note

Persian.

Contents

• Miniatures: fol. 4a: [Firdawsi and the Court Poets]
• fol. 7b: [In praise of Sultan Mahmud]
• fol. 10b: [Jamshid enthroned]
• fol. 15b: [Faridun fords river on his way to fight Zahhak]
• fol. 17a: [Faridun binds Zahhak]
• fol. 23b: [Tur, Sakila slay Iraj]
• fol. 27b: [Manuchihr kills Tur]
• fol. 30a: [Manuchihr enthroned]
• fol. 37a: [Zal meets Rudabah]
• fol. 45a: [Mubad questions Zal]
• fol. 49a: [Sam visits Zal, Rustam]
• fol. 58b: [Rustam catches Rakhsh]
• fol. 61a: [Rustam catches Afrasiyab by belt, lifts him]
• fol. 66a: [Rustam's first feat: Rakhsh kills lion]
• fol. 67a: [Rustam's third feat: Slays dragon]
• fol. 68a: [Rustam's fourth feat: Cleaves witch]
• fol. 69b: [Rustam's sixth feat: Kills Arzhang].
• fol. 70a: [Rustam enters cave where Kai Kaʾus and his men are chained]
• fol. 71a: [Rustam's seventh feat: Slays White Div]
• fol. 78b: [Kai Kaʾus air-borne]
• fol. 82b: [Tahminah visits Rustam]
• fol. 89a: [Suhrab, Hajir view Iranian camp]
• fol. 92b: [Suhrab overthrows Rustam in their second combat]
• fol. 93b: [Rustam mourns Suhrab]
• fol. 95b: [Tahminah mourns Suhrab's death]
• fol. 102a: [Siyavash undergoes the fire ordeal]
• fol. 111a: [Siyavash plays polo before Afrasiyab]
• fol. 121a: [Guruy executes Siyavash]
• fol. 127b: [Rustam fights Afrasiyab, Human, Turanian]
• fol. 131a: [Giv finds Kay Khusraw]
• fol. 133a: [Kay Khusraw, Farangis watch Giv defeat Turanian]
• fol. 134b: [Giv leads captive Piran before Kay Khusraw, Farangis]
• fol. 136a: [Kay Khusraw crosses Oxus with Farangis, Giv]
• fol. 139a: [Kay Khusraw's army beseiges Bahman's castle]
• fol. 148a: [Jarirah commits suicide over her son's body]
• fol. 149a: [Bizhan slays Palashan].
• fol. 155b: [Giv slays Tazhav]
• fol. 158b: [Tus slays Arzhang]
• fol. 167a: [Arrival of Fariburz at Mount Hamazvan]
• fol. 169a: [Arrival of Rustam at Mount Hamazvan]
• fol. 171b: [Rustam slays Ashkabus, horse]
• fol. 173b: [Rustam captures Kamus and kills him]
• fol. 175a: [Rustam overturns Chingish by sezing horse tail]
• fol. 176b: [Rustam, Piran parley]
• fol. 180b: [Rustam unhorses Shangul]
• fol. 182b: [Rustam pulls Khaqan of China from elephant by lasso]
• fol. 186a: [Rustam slays Kafur]
• fol. 189b: [Rustam vanquishes Puladvand].
• fol. 190b: [Rustam and the Iranians return to the court of Kai Khusraw]
• fol. 192b: [Rustam kills Akvan Div]
• fol. 194a: [Bizhan offers to kill the boars]
• fol. 195b [Bizhan kills the boars]
• fol. 197a: [Bizhan with Manizha, daughter of Afrasiyab]
• fol. 201a: [Gurgin returns to Iran without Bizhan]
• fol. 203a: [Rustam pays tribute to Kai Khusraw]
• fol. 205a: [Rustam before Piran]
• fol. 217a: [Bizhan slays Human]
• fol. 219a: [Kai Khusraw replies to the letter of Gudarz]
• fol. 225b-226a: [Battle of the 11 rukhs]
• fol. 229a: [Fariburz slays Kulbad]
• fol. 229b: [Giv battles Gurvi and captures him].
• fol. 230a: [Guraza binds the slain Siyamak]
• fol. 230b: [Furuhil slays Zangula]
• fol. 231a: [Ruhham slays Barman]
• fol. 231b: [Bizhan slays Ruin]
• fol. 232a: [Hajir slays Sipahram]
• fol. 232b: [Zanga slays Akhvasht]
• fol. 233a: [Gurgin slays Andariman]
• fol. 233b: [Barta slays Kuhram]
• fol. 234a: [Gudarz battles Piran]
• fol. 246b: [Kai Khusraw slays Shida, son of Afrasiyab]
• fol. 254a: [Afrasiyab's daughters come before Kai Khusraw]
• fol. 264a: [Kai Khusraw slays Afrasiyab]
• fol. 269a: [Kai Khusraw in the field with his champions]
• fol. 271b: [Kai Khusraw gives the kingship to Luhrasp].
• fol. 279b: [Gushtasp slays a dragon]
• fol. 282a: [Gushtasp returns to Iran]
• fol. 298b: [Isfandiyar's first expoit: Slays two wolves]
• fol. 299a: [Isfandiyar's second exploit: Slays two lions]
• fol. 300a: [Isfandiyar's third exploit: Slays a dragon]
• fol. 301a: [Isfandiyar's fourth exploit: Slays a witch]
• fol. 301b: [Isfandiyar's fifth exploit: Slays the Simurgh]
• fol. 303a: [Isfandiyar's sixth exploit: Passes through snow]
• fol. 306b: [Isfandiyar slays Arjasp]
• fol. 312b: [Bahman loosens a boulder to kill Rustam, but Rustam kicks it aside]
• fol. 315b: [Meeting of Rustam and Isfandiyar]
• fol. 324a: [Rustam shoots double-pointed arrow in Isfandiyar's eyes]
• fol. 329b: [Rustam slays Shaghad then dies].
• fol. 336a: [Darab enthroned]
• fol. 341b: [Sikandar attends dying Dara]
• fol. 350b: [Sikandar goes on pilgrimage to the Kaʻbah]
• fol. 358b: [Sikandar encounters Israfil]
• fol. 363b: [Sikandar mourned]
• fol. 384b: [Shapur escapes from Rum]
• fol 387a: [Caesar's mother urges his brother Yanus to fight Shapur]
• fol. 392b: [Bahram Gur skewers doe, buck while hunting]
• fol. 397b: [Bahram Gur kills two lions in order to attain the crown]
• fol. 403a: [Bahram Gur marries the daughters of a miller]
• fol. 410a: [Bahram Gur hunts lions]
• fol. 412b: [Bahram Gur slays dragon which killed a youth]
• fol 420b: [Bahram Gur slays a rhinoceros in India]
• fol. 421b: [Bahram Gur slays a dragon in India]
• fol. 437b: [Nushirvan receives the Iranians].
• fol. 440b: [Nushirvan goes to war with Caesar]
• fol. 445b: [Nushirvan finds male youth in harem]
• fol. 450b: [War between the Khaqan and the Haitalians]
• fol. 458a: [The story of how chess came to Iran from India]
• fol. 472b, 473b: [Nushirvan questioned by the archmages]
• fol. 489b: [Bahram Chubinah kills Savah Shah]
• fol. 495a: [Bahram Chubinah sends a letter]
• fol. 509b: [Bahram Chubinah sits on the throne of Khusraw Parviz]
• fol 519a: [Battle between Khusraw Parviz and Bahram Chubinah]
• fol. 528a: [Qolun mortally wounds Bahram Chubinah]
• fol. 532b: [Gurdyah parades in her battle gear before Khusraw and Shirin]
• fol. 534b: [Shiruyah stabbing Khusraw Parviz]
• fol. 541a: [Barbad the minstrel sings for Khusraw in a tree in the garden]
• fol. 552b: [Yazdigird, the last Shah].

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Provenance

On fol. 1b, owner's note states that the book was purchased 9 Ṣafar 1202 H [20 November 1787] for 1500 rupees, and that it contains 563 folios [based on the erroneous Arabic foliation], 56,200 verses, and 120 miniatures by the artist Vilāyat.

Source acquisition

Gift; Robert Garrett (Class of 1897), 1942.

References

Moghadam, M. E. et al. Garrett collection, no. 3

OCLC

774391709

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