Literature
Book of kings (Shahnama)
Firdawsī
1028 AH / 1618-9 CE
From the archive
This is an illuminated and illustrated Safavid copy of the Shāhnāmah (Book of kings) by Firdawsī (d. 411 or 416 AH / 1020-5 CE), dated 1028 AH / 1618-9 CE. The text, which is incomplete, begins with the preface (dībāchah), composed on the order of Bāysunghur. It is written in black nastaʿlīq script with chapter/section headings in red. The manuscript contains fourteen illustrations that appear to be later additions, perhaps dating to the 13th century A.H./ 19th century C.E., and may have been executed in India or Iran. The black leather binding is modern.
- Place of origin
- Iran
- Language
- The primary language in this manuscript is Persian.
The record behind the work
Place & date
Manuscript TEI origin: “Iran”. Dates describe this physical manuscript, not the author's life or the work's first composition.
Source & reuse
Walters Art Museum ↗
Source ID: W.601
CC0 — digitized manuscript images and catalog metadata from The Walters Art Museum, United States.
CC0 — The Walters Art Museum
