"Khusrau Catches Sight of Shirin Bathing", Folio 50 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
dated A.H. 931/1524–25 CE
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Page: H. 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm) W. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 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
Gift of Alexander Smith Cochran, 1913
Accession Number
13.228.7.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the captivating folio "Khusrau Catches of Shirin Bathing Folio 50 from the *Khamsa (Quintet)* of the 12th-century Persian poetizami of Ganja. This exquisite miniature illustrates a pivotal moment in Nizami's romantic epic *Khosrow and Shirin*, where the Armenian princess Shirin bathes unaware in a lush pool, spied upon by the Sasanian prince Khusrau from horseback. Surrounded by kings, princesses, and horses amid a verdant landscape, the scene pulses with the timeless drama of forbidden desire and royal intrigue. Created in 1524–25 CE during the early Safavid era in Persia, this work s...