Object Number: 2002.50.148
Title: Kay Khusraw Reviews His Troops (painting, verso; text, recto), folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama by Firdawsi
Other Titles: Series/Book Title: Shahnama by Firdawsi
Classification: Manuscripts
Work Type: manuscript folio
Date: 1562
Places: Creation Place: Middle East, Iran, Shiraz
Period: Safavid period
Culture: Persian
Physical Descriptions
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions: 37.2 x 23.9 cm (14 5/8 x 9 7/16 in.)
Provenance: [Christies, London, 17 October 1995, lot no. 79]. [Mansour Gallery, London, before 1998], sold; to Stanford and Norma Jean Calderwood, Belmont, MA (by 1998-2002), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2002.
Description
Kay Khusraw, grown to manhood and now king of Iran, prepared to mount a campaign against the Turanian murderers of his father, Siyavush. Seated on a jeweled throne atop his mammoth war elephant, he rode out to review his army. The great imperial warriors, including Fariburz and Gudarz, filed past. The illustration portrays Kay Khusraw in a lavish howdah; he is surrounded by mounted soldiers with colorfully caparisoned horses and gold and silver weapons and helmets.
Source: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art