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An illustrated and illuminated leaf from a manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnameh: Iskander Encounters Ilyas and Khizr at the Well of Life, Persia, Safavid, Qazvin or Mashhad, 988 AH/1580 AD
Estimate
15,000 - 18,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- ink and gouache heightened with gold
gouache heightened with gold on polished paper, 4 columns of text in black nasta'liq script, reverse with 23 lines of text with a larger heading in gold
Provenance
Sotheby's London, 22 April 1980, lot 271
Condition
In generally good overall condition, some stains and slightly thumbed, a few smudges to text, some minor paint losses, creasing and retouching, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
This stunning illustrated leaf originates from a manuscript sold at Sotheby's in April 1980, which bore a colophon with the name of the scribe Qutb al-Din Ibn Hasan al-Turi, dated 988 AH/1580 AD. The best among the four attributed painters of the Shahnameh's miniatures, 'artist A', is considered responsible for the present painting, which would originally have been folio 341a. Two further paintings by the same artist were included in the 2010 exhibition Epic of the Persian Kings, the Art of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (see Brend and Melville 2010, pp.172-5, nos.68 & 69).
The painting is illustrated in a style close to that of Qazvin and Mashhad in the last quarter of the sixteenth century, and can be compared to a near contemporary Shahnameh dated 1576-77 published in Colnaghi 1976, pp.32-47. The exquisitely-painted rocks are a striking feature common to both manuscripts.
The painting is illustrated in a style close to that of Qazvin and Mashhad in the last quarter of the sixteenth century, and can be compared to a near contemporary Shahnameh dated 1576-77 published in Colnaghi 1976, pp.32-47. The exquisitely-painted rocks are a striking feature common to both manuscripts.