"Interior Reception", Folio 36r from a Bustan of Sa`di
ca. 1525–35
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Painting: H. 8 3/4 in. (22.3 cm) W. 4 15/16 in. (12.5 cm) Page: H. 11 in. (27.9 cm) W. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 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
Purchase, Louis V. Bell Fund and The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 1974
Accession Number
1974.294.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of Safavid Persia with "Interior Reception," Folio 36r from a luxurious *Bustan* of Sa`di, created around 1525–35. This illuminated manuscript page, painted by the master artist Shaikh Zada, a poetic scene from Sa`di's renowned 13th-century moral anthology, *The Orchard* (*Bustan*). The folio captures a refined gathering of men in an opulent interior, evoking the social graces and ethical wisdom central to Sa`di's verses, which blend storytelling with lessons on virtue, justice, and human connection. Crafted in ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper—a hallmark o...
About the Artist
Shaikh Zada|Sa'di (Iranian|Iranian) · 1485 |1213 –1575 |1291
Iranian, active 1510–1550|Iranian, Shiraz ca. 1213–1291 Shiraz