Floor plan

Style galleriesPersian painting and the book

Persian painting and the book

"Laila and Majnun at School", Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja, by Ja'far Baisunghuri, 835 AH/1431–32 CE
Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar (The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems) of Jajarmi, by Muhammad ibn Badr al-Din Jajarmi, dated 741 AH/1341 CE
"The Angel Surush Rescues Khusrau Parviz from a Cul-de-sac", Folio 708v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1530–35
"Shaikh San'an and the Christian Maiden", Folio 22v from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds), by Farid al-Din `Attar, ca. 1600
"The Feast of Sada", Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1525
"Gushtasp Slays the Rhino-Wolf", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings), by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1330–40

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Illustrated manuscripts and paintings from Persia, made for princes and their libraries.

Section 1, north wall

  1. "Laila and Majnun at School", Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja, by Ja'far Baisunghuri, 835 AH/1431–32 CE
    "Laila and Majnun at School", Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of GanjaJa'far Baisunghuri, 835 AH/1431–32 CECourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar (The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems) of Jajarmi, by Muhammad ibn Badr al-Din Jajarmi, dated 741 AH/1341 CE
    Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar (The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems) of JajarmiMuhammad ibn Badr al-Din Jajarmi, dated 741 AH/1341 CECourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. "The Angel Surush Rescues Khusrau Parviz from a Cul-de-sac", Folio 708v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1530–35
    "The Angel Surush Rescues Khusrau Parviz from a Cul-de-sac", Folio 708v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah TahmaspAbu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1530–35Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 1, south wall

  1. "Shaikh San'an and the Christian Maiden", Folio 22v from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds), by Farid al-Din `Attar, ca. 1600
    "Shaikh San'an and the Christian Maiden", Folio 22v from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds)Farid al-Din `Attar, ca. 1600Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. "The Feast of Sada", Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1525
    "The Feast of Sada", Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah TahmaspAbu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1525Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. "Gushtasp Slays the Rhino-Wolf", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings), by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1330–40
    "Gushtasp Slays the Rhino-Wolf", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1330–40Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 2, south wall

  1. "Bahram Gur Pins the Coupling Onagers", Folio 568r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1530–35
    "Bahram Gur Pins the Coupling Onagers", Folio 568r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah TahmaspAbu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1530–35Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. "The Besotted Iranian Camp Attacked by Night", Folio 241r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1525–30
    "The Besotted Iranian Camp Attacked by Night", Folio 241r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah TahmaspAbu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1525–30Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. "Dancing Dervishes", Folio from a Divan of Hafiz, by Hafiz, ca. 1480
    "Dancing Dervishes", Folio from a Divan of HafizHafiz, ca. 1480Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 2, north wall

  1. "Zahhak is Told His Fate", Folio 29v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1524
    "Zahhak is Told His Fate", Folio 29v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah TahmaspAbu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1524Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. "Bahram Gur Hunting with Azada", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings), by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, dated 753 AH/1352 CE
    "Bahram Gur Hunting with Azada", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, dated 753 AH/1352 CECourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. "Isfandiyar's Third Course: He Slays a Dragon", Folio 434v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1530
    "Isfandiyar's Third Course: He Slays a Dragon", Folio 434v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah TahmaspAbu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1530Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 3, north wall

  1. Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar (The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems) of Jajarmi, by Muhammad ibn Badr al-Din Jajarmi, dated 741 AH/1340–41 CE
    Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar (The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems) of JajarmiMuhammad ibn Badr al-Din Jajarmi, dated 741 AH/1340–41 CECourtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. A work made of ink on paper.
    Akbar Offering Timur's Crown to Shah JahanIslamic, Mughal period (1526–1857), ca. 1650–1700Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 3, south wall

  1. "Muhammad's Call to Prophecy and the First Revelation", Folio from a Majma' al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories), by Hafiz-i Abru, ca. 1425
    "Muhammad's Call to Prophecy and the First Revelation", Folio from a Majma' al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories)Hafiz-i Abru, ca. 1425Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. "The Concourse of the Birds", Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds), by Habiballah of Sava, ca. 1600
    "The Concourse of the Birds", Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds)Habiballah of Sava, ca. 1600Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art