"Rustam Seizes Afrasiyab by the Girdle and Lifts him from the Saddle", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)

Author:: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (935–1020)

Object Name:: Folio from an illustrated manuscript

Date:: ca. 1430–40

Geography:: Attributed to India

Medium:: Main support: Ink, opaque watercolor, gold on paper Margins: Ink and gold on dyed paper

Dimensions:: 7.5 in. high 7.62 in. wide (19.1 cm high 19.4 cm wide)

Classification:: Codices

Credit Line:: The Grinnell Collection, Bequest of William Milne Grinnell, 1920

Accession Number:: 20.120.238

Not on view

The action here depicts Rustam on an orange horse as he grasps his enemy Afrasiyab and pulls him off his horse. To Rustam’s chagrin, the belt breaks, and Afrasiyab falls to the ground, where he is rescued by his allies. This painting comes from a copy of the highly Persianate Shahnama that was probably made in northern India. The paintings from this book were later cut out and placed in an album with brightly colored borders.

#6731. Overview: Sultanate Shahnama Paintings

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#6731. Overview: Sultanate Shahnama Paintings

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William Milne Grinnell, New York (until d. 1920; bequeathed to MMA)

London. Burlington House. "International Exhibition of Persian Art," January 7, 1931–February 28, 1931, no. 468.

Rome. Palazzo Brancaccio. "Mostra d'arte Iranica," May 20, 1956–June 20, 1956.

Joseph Breck. "The William Milne Grinell Bequest." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, o.s., vol. XV (1920). pp. 273-275.

Wilson, Arnold T. "7th January to 28th February, 1931." In Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Persian Art. 3rd. ed. London: Royal Academy of Arts, 1931. no. 468, p. 63.

Binyon, Laurence, Basil Gray, and James Vere Stewart Wilkinson. "Including a Descriptive Catalogue of the Miniatures Exhibited at Burlington House." In Persian Miniature Painting. London, 1933.

Dimand, Maurice S. "New York, October 9 through January 7, 1933–1934." In A Guide to an Exhibition of Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1933. p. 28.

Islamic Painting. 1933.

Dimand, Maurice S. Persian Miniatures. A Picture Book. Metropolitan Museum of Art Picture Books. New York, 1940. ill. fig. 8 (b/w).

Dimand, Maurice S. A Handbook of Muhammadan Art. 2nd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944. pp. 38-39.

Bussagli, Mario, ed. "Exhibition of Iranian Art. Palazzo Brancaccio, Giugno-Agosto 1956." In Mostra d'Arte Iranica. Milan: Silvana, 1956.

Timelines
South Asia, 1400–1600 A.D.

Persian Miniatures: A Picture Book

Department

Islamic Art (14,468)

Artist / Maker / Culture

Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (215)

Object Type / Material

Illuminated manuscripts (735)