Enthroned Queen and Prince Surrounded by Musicians

This illustrated folio was probably cut from its original illustrated manuscript as a line of text appears along the bottom edge of the leaf. The image depicts a group of female attendants, musicians, and dancers surrounding a crowned central female figure who kneels on a golden throne. A crowned male figure kneels at the lower left. One attendant on the queen's right holds a traditional axe-shaped fan, while the attendant on her left holds a fan in the shape of a sunburst, often a symbol of imperial power. All the female attendants and musicians wear a striped cap which allows us to date the painting to around 1800. The subject matter of the painting and the manuscript from which it comes cannot be securely identified. Some scholars have identified it as Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, while others have suggested it is a folio from the Garshaspnama depicting Jamshid and Parichehr.