"Isfandiyar's Third Course: He Slays a Dragon", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)
ca. 1330–40
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper
Dimensions
Page: 8 1/8 x 5 1/4 in. (20.6 x 13.4 cm) Painting: H. 1 5/8 in. (4.2 cm) W.4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Monroe C. Gutman, 1974
Accession Number
1974.290.26
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant folio from a *Shahnama* (Book of Kings), the epic Persian poem by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi completed around 1010 CE, captures the heroic moment when the warrior Isfandiyar his third labor: slaying a ferocious dragon. Created circa 1330–40 during the Ilkhanid period under Mongol rule in Persia, illustrates a pivotal episode from the national epic that celebrates Iran's mythical kings and champions, blending history, legend, and moral tales. Rendered in ink with opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper—a hallmark of Persian miniature painting—the artwork exemplifies the refined tec...
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...