"Journey of the Prophet Muhammad", Folio from the Majma al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories)
ca. 1425
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H. 16 7/8 in. (42.8 cm) W. 13 in. (33 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
57.51.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
This stunning folio from Hafiz-i Abru's *Majma al-Tavarikh* (Compendium of Histories), created around 1425, captures the "Journey of the Prophet Muhammad" in vivid Timurid miniature style. Commissioned during the reign of Shah Rukh, the Timurid ruler in Herat, the manuscript was a grand universal history blending text and illustration. As both author and artist, Hafiz-i Abru exemplified the era's scholarly artistry, where Persian painters revived classical traditions with intricate narratives of prophets, rulers, and legends. Here, figures of men and camels evoke a caravan procession, symboliz...