Fig. 194. (Cat. no. 45). Faramurz Pursuing the Kabulis, from a page of the Great Mongol Shahnama (Book of Kings), Iran (probably Tabriz), 1330s.
Ink, colors, and gold on paper
Musée du Louvre, Paris (7095)


45     Fig. 194
Faramurz Pursuing the Kabulis
Image: 22 x 29 cm (8⅝ x 11⅜ in.)
Musée du Louvre, Paris (7095)

At the end of the mourning period, Faramurz took an army to Kabul to avenge the deaths of his father and uncle. The intensity of the ensuing battle is described in the text, which speaks of the throngs of horses and warriors, and of the noise and action on the field. The painting captures much of that intensity, with the armies of Faramurz charging aggressively and driving the Kabulis into retreat.¹ Dismembered bodies, a Kabuli horseman seen from the back in a twisted three-quarter pose with an upraised arm as if to ward off the attackers, and the swirling, Chinese-inspired clouds in the sky all enhance the drama of the event.

1. Grabar and Blair 1980, pp. 106—7, no. 25.
Source: pp. 166 & 255, The Legacy of Genghis Khan Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia 1256-1353

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Faramarz chasing the King of Kabul, page from the Shahnameh (The Epic of Kings, written by Ferdowsi).
Around 1330; Iran, Tabriz?
Gouache and gold on paper; 29cm x 20cm OA 7095
Louvre, Departement des Arts d'Islam, Paris, France

Le héros Farâmarz met en déroute le roi de Kaboul
Ce feuillet provient d’un manuscrit princier aux peintures très nombreuses et très variées, sans doute copié et illustré à Tabriz sous le vizirat de Ghiyâs al-Din. La bataille représentée ici montre Farâmarz qui, désireux de venger son père, le héros Rostam, met en déroute les troupes du roi de Kaboul.

The hero Faramarz routs the Shah of Kabul.
This folio from a princely manuscript of many and varied paintings, probably copied and illustrated in Tabriz under the vizierate of Ghiyas al-Din. The battle depicted here shows how Faramarz, eager to avenge his father, the hero Rustam, routs the troops of the Shah of Kabul.

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Title of Work: Shahnama (Great Mongol)
Manuscript: OA 7094-6
Accession Number: no. 7095
Chapter 15 - Gushtasp (120 years)
Scene: Faramarz leads his army against the Shah of Kabul
English Title: Faramarz routs the troops of the king of Kabul
Dimensions (h x w): 255 x 285 mm
Format: Rectangular within borders
Gregorian Date: 1335 (circa)
School: Tabriz
Source: Shahnama Project