"Battle between Alexander and Darius", Folio 279 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
This razm (battle) scene is set against a hilly background, with groups of figures engaged in combat. Three figures in the foreground attack their mounted enemies. A severed arm, a slain soldier, and a strewn helmet suggest the violence of battle, though the image itself betrays little ferocity. The details of weaponry, arms, and horse trappings provide a glimpse into the material culture of an early sixteenth-century battle.
Artwork Details
- Title: "Battle between Alexander and Darius", Folio 279 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
- Author: Nizami (present-day Azerbaijan, Ganja 1141–1209 Ganja)
- Calligrapher: Sultan Muhammad Nur (Iranian, ca. 1472–ca. 1536)
- Date: 931 AH/1524–25 CE
- Geography: Made in present-day Afghanistan, Herat
- Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
- Dimensions: Painting: H. 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm)
W. 4 13/16 in. (12.2 cm)
Page: H. 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm)
W. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)
Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm)
W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm) - Classification: Codices
- Credit Line: Gift of Alexander Smith Cochran, 1913
- Object Number: 13.228.7.15
- Curatorial Department: Islamic Art
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Multiple artists/makers
931 AH/1524–25 CE
Multiple artists/makers
dated 931 AH/1524–25 CE
Multiple artists/makers
931 AH/1524–25 CE
Multiple artists/makers
dated 931 AH/1524–25 CE
Multiple artists/makers
dated 931 AH/1524–25 CE
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