The Metropolitan Museum of Art - "Allegory of Worldly and Otherworldly Drunkenness", Folio from the Divan of Hafiz

Art Object

Collecting Turkmen Jewelry: The Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection

In conjunction with the exhibition Turkmen Jewelry from the Collection of Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf (on view October 9, 2012, through February 24, 2013), Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf discuss their collecting practices and connection to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. From the first few pieces that grew into a large collection of traditional Turkmen jewelry, the couple's appreciation for the jewelry has followed them for decades and allowed them to develop unique insights into the practice of collecting.

The exhibition is made possible by the Hagop Kevorkian Fund.

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"Allegory of Worldly and Otherworldly Drunkenness", Folio from the Divan of Hafiz

Painting by Sultan Muhammad (active first half 16th century)

Object Name:: Folio from an illustrated manuscript
Reign:: Shah Tahmasp (1524–76)
Date:: ca. 1531–33
Geography:: Iran, Tabriz
Medium:: Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions:: Illuminated folio: Painting: H. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm) W. 5 15/16 in. (15.1 cm) Page: H. 11 3/8 in. (28.9 cm) W. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm) Calligraphic folio: Painting: H. 7 in. (17.8 cm) W. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm) Page: H. 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm) W. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm) Mat: H. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm) W. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm)
Classification:: Codices
Credit Line:: Jointly owned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Cary Welch Jr., 1988
Accession Number:: 1988.430

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 450

Description

Sultan Muhammad, the most innovative painter of early sixteenth-century Iran, illustrates the verses by the mystical poet Hafiz by employing his characteristic sense of humor and extreme attention to detail. The tavern party, complete with ecstatic dancers, singers and overindulgent drinkers, is given a new meaning by the presence of angels on top of the pavilion, suggesting that the state of drunkenness can be likened to that of spiritual enlightenment. As a Sufi symbol, wine stands for heaven's divine light and the cup into which it is poured, for the devotee's heart.
Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Marking: See additional card.
Provenance

[ Tabbagh Frères, Paris and New York ]; Arthur Sambon, Paris (until 1914; his sale, Galerie GeorgesPetit, Paris, May 25–28, 1914, lot 189); Louis J. Cartier, Paris; Stuart Cary Welch, Warner, New Hampshire
See also
Who
Sultan Muhammad (6)
What
Metal (59,364)

Ink (28,327)

Paper (23,968)

Gold (12,457)

Watercolors (11,584)

Manuscripts (1,801)

Codices (1,174)

Folios (977)

Illuminated manuscripts (717)
Where
Asia (68,071)

Iran (7,061)

Tabriz (99)
When
A.D. 1400-1600 (20,545)
In the Museum
Islamic Art (12,509)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
The Art of the Safavids before 1600

Iran, 1400–1600 A.D.
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Painting by Sultan Muhammad (active first half 16th century)

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Collecting Turkmen Jewelry: The Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection

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"Allegory of Worldly and Otherworldly Drunkenness", Folio from the Divan of Hafiz

Painting by Sultan Muhammad (active first half 16th century)

Met Media

Met Kids

Met Store