"Abu'l Mihjan and Sa`d ibn Abi Wakkas Before a Ruler", Folio from a Khavarannama (The Book of the East) of ibn Husam al-Din

This manuscript of the legendary exploits of 'Ali, nephew and son-in-law of the Prophet, is illustrated in a style associated with the White Sheep (Aq Qoyunlu) Turkoman dynasty ruling in the western part of Iran during the last third of the fifteenth century. Within a conventional framework, the artist of this miniature has combined a harmonious and balanced composition with sureness of drawing, crisp forms, pleasant colors and a variety of decorative patterns. The inscription over the door is a typical generalized formula which reads: 'the Sultan son of the Sultan the Victorious'.