Two leaves from Nizami's Sharafnameh: Iskandar observing Khizr putting a dried fish into the Water of Life and Iskander battling the Habashis, attributed to Mu'in Musavvir, Persia, Safavid, 1659

gouache heightened with gold on paper, remargined, 11 and 13 lines to the page, written in nasta'liq script in black ink above and below the paintings in 4 columns, one leaf with a heading in red within a gold panel above painting, reverse with 20 and 25 lines of text written horizontally and diagonally, ruled in colours and gold, framed

in reasonably good overall condition, remargined, a few minor stains and smudges, colours vivid, 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."

These two Safavid illustrated leaves, recalling the life of Iskandar, all belong to a now dispersed Persian manuscript, possibly a complete Khamsa of Nizami (see previous lot for ten text pages from the same manuscript). The illustrations, though unsigned, all bear similarities to the work of Mu'in Musavvir, in the third quarter of the seventeenth century. Other leaves from the same manuscript were sold in these rooms 22 April 2015, lots 113, 114 and 117.

The gifted Mu'in, pupil of the master Reza-i 'Abbasi, was one of the most prolific artists of the later Safavid period. Born in 1617, Mu'in flourished for 72 years, producing single page drawings and paintings in addition to several complete manuscripts. As we can see in the present examples, the style is typically Persianate, a characteristic of Mu'in, at a time when many of his contemporaries became increasingly influenced by European prints. Comparable leaves from a Shahnameh produced at roughly the same time were sold in these rooms, 24 April 2013, lot 56 and 25 April 2012, lots 479 and 480. For more on the artist see S. Canby, Persian Painting, London, 1993, pp.110-2.