"Isfandiyar's Second Course: He Slays the Lions", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)
ca. 1330–40
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper
Dimensions
Page: H. 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm) W. 5 1/4 in. (13.4 cm) Painting: H. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm) W. 4 5/16 in. (4.8 x 10.9 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Monroe C. Gutman, 1974
Accession Number
1974.290.25
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite folio from a *Shahnama* (Book of Kings), titled "Isfandiyar's Second Course: He Slays the Lions," captures a dramatic moment from the Persian national epic composed by the poet Abu'l Qasim Firusi around 1010 CE. Dating to circa 1330–40, it the hero Isfandiyar, protected by his magical metal-infused skin, boldly confronting and slaying lions during one of his seven perilous trials ordered by King Goshtasp. Such scenes embody the epic's themes of heroism, fate, and royal destiny, preserving Iran's pre-Islamic myths for generations. Crafted in the Islamic Art tradition, the miniat...
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...