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Overflap and Inside Cover of a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja

Sultan Muhammad Nur|Mahmud Muzahib|Shaikh Zada|Nizami

dated A.H. 931/1524–25 CE

Overflap and Inside Cover of a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja by Sultan Muhammad Nur|Mahmud Muzahib|Shaikh Zada|Nizami

Medium

Binding: leather; embossed, gold, and color Manuscript: ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Dimensions

H. 12 5/8 in. (32.1 cm) W. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)

Classification

Codices

Department

Islamic Art

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Gift of Alexander Smith Cochran, 1913

Accession Number

13.228.7.1

Art Historical Context

This exquisite overflap and inside cover belong to a Khamsa, or quintet of epic poems, by the renowned 12th-century Persian poetizami Ganjavi. Created in 1524–25 CE during the Saf dynasty in Persia (modern-day Iran), this artifact exemplifies the golden age of Islamic manuscript production. The Khamsa—comprising five romantic and moral tales like *Layla and Majnun*—was a cultural cornerstone, inspiring lavish illuminations that blended poetry with visual splendor for elite patrons. Crafted by a team of master artists including Sultan Muhammad Nur, Mahmud Muzahhib, and Shaikh Zada, the binding...

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