"Rustam Shoots His Half-brother Shaghad through a Plane Tree", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi

Author Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian
dated 887 AH/1482 CE
Not on view
Rustam, the great epic hero of the Iran, was lured by his treacherous half-brother to ride over a hidden pit implanted with spears, which impaled him and his trusted horse Raksh. However, with the last vestige of his strength, Rustam was able to shoot his murderer through the tree behind which he was lurking. This miniature is in the forthright style associated with the city of Shiraz under the Aq Qoyonlu (White Sheep) Turkoman domination. The compositions are usually simplified and balanced, while the overall effect is both vigorous and decorative.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "Rustam Shoots His Half-brother Shaghad through a Plane Tree", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
  • Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (Iranian, Paj ca. 940/41–1020 Tus)
  • Date: dated 887 AH/1482 CE
  • Geography: Made in Iran, Shiraz
  • Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
  • Dimensions: H. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm)
    W. 6 3/8 in. (16.2 cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Samuel D. Lee Fund, 1940
  • Object Number: 40.38.2
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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