An Illustrated Folio of the Shahnama of Firdausi: Rustam in Foot Combat with the Turanian, Sub-Imperial Mughal, circa 1610

Rustam with his distinctive lion-face head-gear charges his Turanian adversary as they rush towards each other brandishing gold battle maces. The epic figures are envisioned here as Akbar-period Mughals with the attending figures below wearing flat pagris (headgear) and Mughal-style jamas.

Shown against a mauve rocky outcropping with colorful small flowers shown floating between foreground and background. Below them a dark-green flower-strewn ground.

Various details in the color palette, facial and costume types as well as the scattered floral sprigs suggest a date in the very early Seventeenth Century and were likely produced at Agra - a center of artistic activity patronized by members of the Mughal court during the later reign of the Mughal Emperor

Another folio from the same manuscript was sold at Christies New York, 11th September 2019 lot 392.