Floor plan

Style galleriesPersian painting and the book

Persian painting and the book

Preface (verso) from a double-page frontispiece of a Shahnama of Firdausi (940-1019 or 1025), c. 1444
Text Page, Persian Prose (recto) from a Manuscript of the Majma' al-Tavarikh (A Compendium of Histories) by Hafiz-i Abru:, c. 1425
Text Page, Persian Prose (recto); The Story of Adam peace upon him, his Sons and Progeny (verso), c. 1425
"Muhammad's Call to Prophecy and the First Revelation", Folio from a Majma' al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories), by Hafiz-i Abru, ca. 1425
"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
Watercolor of tiny people and horses, framed with gold flowers on navy background.

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. Preface (verso) from a double-page frontispiece of a Shahnama of Firdausi (940-1019 or 1025), c. 1444
    Preface (verso) from a double-page frontispiece of a Shahnama of Firdausi (940-1019 or 1025)Unrecorded Persian maker, c. 1444Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. Text Page, Persian Prose (recto) from a Manuscript of the Majma' al-Tavarikh (A Compendium of Histories) by Hafiz-i Abru:, c. 1425
    Text Page, Persian Prose (recto) from a Manuscript of the Majma' al-Tavarikh (A Compendium of Histories) by Hafiz-i Abru:Unrecorded Persian maker, c. 1425Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. Text Page, Persian Prose (recto); The Story of Adam peace upon him, his Sons and Progeny (verso), c. 1425
    Text Page, Persian Prose (recto); The Story of Adam peace upon him, his Sons and Progeny (verso)Unrecorded Persian maker, c. 1425Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 1, 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. "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
  3. Watercolor of tiny people and horses, framed with gold flowers on navy background.
    Royal Horse Inspection'Aliquli Jabbadar, Safavid dynasty (1501–1722), late 17th centuryCourtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 2, south 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. "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
  3. "Tahmuras Defeats the Divs", Folio 23v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1525
    "Tahmuras Defeats the Divs", Folio 23v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah TahmaspAbu'l Qasim Firdausi, ca. 1525Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Section 2, 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/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
  2. "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
  3. "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

Section 3, north wall

  1. "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
  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

Section 3, south wall

  1. "The Four Knights of Kai Khusrau in the Mountains", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings), by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, dated 741 AH/1341 CE
    "The Four Knights of Kai Khusrau in the Mountains", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, dated 741 AH/1341 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