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"Iskandar Speaks with the Bird on the Mountain", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi

Author Abu'l Qasim Firdausi Iranian
ca. 1330–40
Not on view
Iskandar (Alexander the Great) finds large birds nesting on tall poles high in the mountains. One speaks to him, sending him to a mountaintop. There, still higher up, he will see Israfil, the angel with the trumpet, who warns him of his impending demise. The extensive damage and patching of the background of this miniature may have obscured the birds on the two pillars that are visible. Iskandar's isolation and despair are movingly depicted.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "Iskandar Speaks with the Bird on the Mountain", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
  • Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (Iranian, Paj ca. 940/41–1020 Tus)
  • Date: ca. 1330–40
  • Geography: Attributed to Iran, probably Isfahan
  • Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper
  • Dimensions: Page:
    H. 8 1/16 in. (20.5 cm)
    W. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm)
    Painting:
    H. 1 7/8 in. (4.7 cm)
    W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Monroe C. Gutman, 1974
  • Object Number: 1974.290.33
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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