Nushirwan Listens to the Owls (recto); the Story of Nushirwan and his Minister, "The Third Discourse on Diverse Events and Disorder in Life" (verso) from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami (1141-1209)
Unknown Artist
1555–65
Medium
opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
image: 20.3 × 12.7 cm · sheet: 32.7 × 21.8 cm
Classification
Manuscript
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1944.487
About this artwork
This scene is from the Makhzan al-Ashrar, the first of the Quintet. Although more historically oriented than the following poems, it served more as a vehicle for moralizing tales than for historical events. In this scene Nushirwan asks the sage Buzurgmihr to explain what the owls perched on a ruined building are saying. He explains that one owl is offering the other as many ruined cities as he likes in exchange for his daughter's hand. He thus reproves Nushirwan for his love of conquest and war ...