"Elias and Khizr at the Fountain of Life', Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
late 15th century
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Overall: H. 9 in. (22.9 cm) W. 3 9/16 in. (9 cm) Painting: H. 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm) W. 5 7/8 in. (14.9 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
57.51.28
Tags
About the Artist
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi · 935–1020
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, born around 940 in the village of Paj near Tus in Khorasan (modern-day Iran), emerged from a family of landed gentry known as dehqans, who preserved ancient Iranian oral traditions amid the cultural renaissance of the Samanid Empire. Little is documented about his early life or formal training, though he likely received a basic education including Arabic literacy, immersing h...