"Jewish Captives Making an Appeal to the Prophet," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion)
Not on view
This illustrated folio is from a Shi'i epic recounting the life of 'Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law and, according to Shi'is, the legitimate successor to the Prophet. It depicts the Prophet Muhammad riding a camel accompanied by 'Ali after taking over a fortress inhabited by Jews. While the Prophet spares their lives, he orders them to leave with only a few of their belongings; we see the Jews throwing themselves at the foot of the Prophet’s camel and beg him to reconsider. As in other folios in the manuscript, the Prophet is depicted with a white face-veil while 'Ali's face is shown in full view. The style and palette of this folio are consistent with Qajar paintings of the 1820s and 30's. Shi'i epics were a popular genre in the Qajar period although only a few illustrated manuscripts survive, making this a rare example.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
