"Adam Makes a Pilgrimage", Folio from a Majma al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories)
ca. 1425
Medium
Opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Painting: H. 8 1/4 in. (21 cm) W. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm) Page: H. 16 7/8 in. (42.9 cm) W. 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm) Mat: H. 19 1/4 in. (48.9 cm) W. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Cora Timken Burnett Collection of Persian Miniatures and Other Persian Art Objects, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956
Accession Number
57.51.37.5
Art Historical Context
This exquisite folio, "Adam Makes a Pilgrimage," comes from the Majma al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories), a grand historical manuscript created around 1425 by the scholar and artist Hafiz-i Abru. Working in the Timurid court of Shah Rukh in Herat, Hafiz-i Abru compiled and illustrated stories spanning biblical, Persian, and Islamic traditions. The scene portrays the prophet Adam on a spiritual journey, surrounded by stylized trees that evoke the natural world’s role in sacred narratives. Painted in opaque watercolor with shimmering silver and gold on paper, the work exemplifies the refined...