Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi (d.1020); recto: Ardashir with his wife, who throws down the cup of poison; verso: unrelated text
HISTORICAL PERIOD: Il-Khanid dynasty, ca. 1330-1340
MEDIUM: Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
DIMENSIONS: H x W: 59.1 x 39.9 cm (23 1/4 x 15 11/16 in)
GEOGRAPHY: Iran, Tabriz
CREDIT LINE: Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
COLLECTION: Henri Vever collection
ACCESSION NUMBER: S1986.106
PROVENANCE
To 1913: Georges Demotte (1877-1923), Paris, France. [1]
From 1913 to 1942: Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France, purchased from Georges Demotte, Paris, France on December 12, 1913. [2]
From 1942 to 1986: Family member, Paris and Boulogne, France, by inheritance from Henri Vever, Paris and Noyers, France. [3]
From 1986: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from a family member, Paris and Boulogne, France. [4]
Notes:
[1] See Glen D. Lowry and Susan Nemazee, "Appendix 2: Ledger of Acquisitions, 1894 and 1907-17" in A Jeweler’s Eye: Islamic Arts of the Book from the Vever Collection (Washington, D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1988), p. 235. See also Susan Nemazee, "Appendix 7: Chart of Recent Provenance" in An Annotated and Illustrated Checklist of the Vever Collection, Glenn D. Lowry et al (Washington, D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1988), p. 402.
[2] See note 1.
[3] See the Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection of January 9, 1986, Collections Management Office.
[4] See note 3.
DESCRIPTION
Detached folio from a dispersed copy of Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi; text: Persian in black naskh script, heading in gold naskh outlined in black; recto: Ardashir with his wife, who throws down the cup of poison, six columns, 13 lines; verso: unrelated text, six columns, 31 lines; both the recto and verso contain unrelated text from the story of Siyavush. One of a series: F1923.5, F1930.78, F1935.23, F1935.24, F1938.3, F1942.2, F1930.79, S1986.100, S1986.101, S1986.102, S1986.103, S1986.106, S1986.105, S1986.106 and S1986.107.
Source: Sackler Gallery

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Washington DC, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Title of Work: Shahnama (Great Mongol)
Manuscript: S1986.100-107
Accession Number: S1986.106
Chapter 22 - The Sassanians: Ardashir Babakan (42 years)
Scene: Ardavan's daughter tries to poison her husband Ardashir
Dimensions (h x w): 232 x 290 mm
Format: Rectangular within borders
Reconstructed Folio: 184r
Gregorian Date: 1335 (circa)
School: Tabriz
For the contemporary significance of this scene, see Soudavar, p. 157.
Soudavar, A. "The saga of Abu-Sa`id Bahador Khan. The Abu-Sa`idname." pp. 95-218 in Oxford Studies in Islamic Art ed. Raby, J. & Fitzherbert, T. 12 (1997), Oxford University Press. Oxford. UK.
Source: Shahnama Project