An illustrated and illuminated leaf from a manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnameh (The Second Small Shahnameh): The Combat of Bizhan and Ruyin, Persia or Baghdad, Ilkhanid, circa 1300
Estimate 8,000 — 12,000 GBP.
Gouache heightened with gold on paper, 21 lines to the page, above and below the painting, written in small naskh script in black ink in 6 columns, red intercolumnar rules, title in larger gold script, reverse with 31 lines of text.
Painting: 7.5 by 16.8cm.
Leaf: 30.5 by 21cm.
Source: Sothebys. Lot 71 2014

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London, Sotheby's
Title of Work: Shahnama (Second Small)
Manuscript: 2014 October 8, lot 71
Chapter 13f - The Twelve Rukhs
Scene: The sixth combat: Bizhan fights Ruyin
Rubric: 1925
Dimensions (h x w): 72 x 180 mm
Format: Rectangular, breaking through frame
Gregorian Date: 1300 (circa)
School: Ilkhanid
Public Notes: This page is an amalgam of two passages of the Shahnama. The top half above the picture is from the reign of Gushtasp and the encounter with Bidarafsh. Below is the end of the combat of Ruhham and Barman (although the break-line after the picture is not in Mohl; the 2nd verse is M, 1921). In general, the text does not conform closely to the printed edition.
Source: Shahnama Project