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Portrait of a Dervish

16th century
Not on view
In the sixteenth century, albums with examples of great painting and calligraphy pasted onto decorated pages became popular. This folio from such an album includes a portrait of a dervish, or member of a mystical religious fraternity, surrounded by lines of poetry from another work. Shown enveloped in a mantle, lost in thought with a string of prayer beads hanging from his sleeve, the dervish embodies the ideal of religious absorption, but the individualized drawing of his face suggests a true portrait.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of a Dervish
  • Date: 16th century
  • Geography: Attributed to Present-day Uzbekistan, Bukhara
  • Medium: Main support: ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
    Margins: gold on dyed paper
  • Dimensions: Page: H. 15 3/4 in. (40 cm)
    W. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
    Painting: H. 7 1/16 (18 cm)
    W. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm)
    Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm)
    W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Cora Timken Burnett Collection of Persian Miniatures and Other Persian Art Objects, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956
  • Object Number: 57.51.27
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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"Yusuf and Zulaikha", Folio 51r from a Bustan of Sa`di, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
"Yusuf and Zulaikha", Folio 51r from a Bustan of Sa`di
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Tughra (Insignia) of Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66), Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Tughra (Insignia) of Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66)
ca. 1555–60
Khusrau and Shirin, Hatifi Iranian, active Istanbul, Main support: ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; binding: leather
Khusrau and Shirin
Hatifi
Suzi
dated 904 AH/1498–99 CE
"Farhad Carves a Milk Channel for Shirin", Folio 74 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja, Nizami, Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
"Farhad Carves a Milk Channel for Shirin", Folio 74 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
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931 AH/1524–25 CE
"The Feast of Sada", Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper
"The Feast of Sada", Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi
Sultan Muhammad
ca. 1525

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