An Illustrated and Illuminated leaf from a Manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnameh: Faridun arrives at Zahhak's palace to fight him, Baghdad or Persia, circa 1300-40
Estimate 8,000 — 10,000 GBP   LOT SOLD. 10,000 GBP
Gouache heightened with gold on paper, 31 lines to the page, written in Naskh script in black ink in 6 columns, headings in gold with black outlines, margins and intercolumnar rules in red, the reverse with 31 lines of text
30.4 by 21.4cm. leaf
8.3 by 14.5cm. painting

This leaf originates from an important manuscript of the Shahnameh, almost certainly produced at Shiraz in circa 1340. Generally known as the 'Freer Shahnameh', it belongs to a group called the 'Small Shahnamehs', which over the years have been attributed to Western India, Shiraz and Tabriz. Detailed study in the late 1970s, however, pointed to Baghdad as the place of origin. The majority of leaves from the present manuscript are in the Freer Gallery, Washington, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Others are in the Art and History Trust Collection (A. Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992, pp.37-38, nos.10a-c) and numerous have been sold in these rooms, including 30 April 2003, lot 25.

Lot 124
ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD
05 OCTOBER 2011 | 10:00 AM BST
LONDON
Source: Sothebys