Page of Calligraphy from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi
16th century
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
H. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm) W. 11 9/16 in. (29.4 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Arthur A. Houghton Jr., 1970
Accession Number
1970.301.123vs
Tags
Poetry
About the Artist
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi · 935–1020
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, born around 940 in the village of Paj near Tus in Khorasan (modern-day Iran), emerged from a family of landed gentry known as dehqans, who preserved ancient Iranian oral traditions amid the cultural renaissance of the Samanid Empire. Little is documented about his early life or formal training, though he likely received a basic education including Arabic literacy, immersing h...