"Khusrau Spies Shirin Bathing", Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
16th century
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Page: H. 8 11/16 in. (22.1 cm) W. 5 11/16 in. (14.4 cm) Dimensions of painting: H. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm) W. 2 1/2 in. (6.4cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Richard Ettinghausen, 1975
Accession Number
1975.192.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite folio, titled *"Khusrau Spiesin Bathing"*, from a 16th *Khamsa* (Quintet), a celebrated collection of five epic poems by the 12th-century Persian master Nizami of Ganja. It illustrates a pivotal romantic moment from *Khosrow and Shirin*, of Nizami's love stories, where the Sasanian prince Khusrau catches sight of the beautiful Armenian princess Shirin bathing by a stream, accompanied by her attendants and horses. Such scenes blend chivalry, desire, and nature, captivating audiences for centuries in Persian literary tradition. Crafted in the Safavid era of Islamic art, the work ...