English
DonateMembershipTickets

Masnavi of Jalal al-Din Rumi

dated 894 AH/1488–89 CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 455
The frontispiece of this six book manuscript depicts a lively scene in which mounted hunters use swords, bows, and arrows to pursue their prey. Other paintings of receptions and feasts provide further insight into the courtly life of the period. An inscription in the colophon and on two other folios give the date of completion of this manuscript as 894 (1488–89 CE), although four of the 355 folios were added at a later date. The text by Jalal al-Din Rumi teaches moral philosophy and mysticism.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Masnavi of Jalal al-Din Rumi
  • Date: dated 894 AH/1488–89 CE
  • Geography: Attributed to Iran
  • Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; leather binding
  • Dimensions: H. 11 1/8 in. (28.3 cm)
    W. 7 1/4 in. (18.4cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Gift of Alexander Smith Cochran, 1913
  • Object Number: 13.228.12
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art
More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.