"Gushtasp Slays the Dragon of Mount Saqila", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
ca. 1330–40
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper
Dimensions
Page: H. 8 in. (20.3 cm) W. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm) Painting: H. 1 15/16 in. (5 cm) W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Monroe C. Gutman, 1974
Accession Number
1974.290.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold this exquisite folio from the *Shahnama* (Book of Kings), the monumental Persian epic composed by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi around 1010 CE. Titled "Gushtasp Slays Dragon of Mount Saqila," it captures the heroic king Gushtasp in triumphant combat against a fearsome dragon atop a rugged mountain, accompanied by rearing horses and dynamic figures. This scene pulses with the poem's themes of valor, destiny, and the eternal struggle between good and evil, drawing from ancient Iranian mythology. Crafted circa 1330–40 in ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper, the miniature exemplifies ...
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...