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Firdawsi's "Shahnama": Bahram Chubina Kills the Lion-Ape
Ilkhanid
early 14th century
Object Place: Baghdad or, Northwest Iran
Medium/Technique
Ink, color, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Height x width: 22.8 × 18.7 cm (9 × 7 3/8 in.)
Credit Line
Harriet Otis Cruft Fund
Accession Number41.31a
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia, Islamic Art
ClassificationsBooks and manuscripts
This illustrated page from a small but very rich manuscript belongs to what is known as the "second small Shahnama." This manuscript was part of a group of manuscripts probably produced in northwestern Iran or Baghdad in the early 14th century. The manuscripts' patrons and exact moments of production are unknown. The illustration on this page depicts the hero Bahram Chubina in battle with a beast within a dramatically stepped field. The tiger-like beast may reflect the integration of Chinese, Iranian and Mongol culture that occured during the Ilkhanid period.
DescriptionIllustrated page from the "Second small Shahnama"
ProvenanceH. Khan Monif, New York; 1941, sold by H. Khan Monif to the MFA for $700.00 (Total price for 41.31a-41.31b). (Accession Date: February 13, 1941)