"Rudaba's Maids Return to the Palace", Folio 71v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Painting: H. 12 5/16 in. (31.3 cm) W. 9 7/16 in. (23.9 cm) Entire Page: H. 18 1/2 in. (47 cm) W. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Arthur A. Houghton Jr., 1970
Accession Number
1970.301.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite folio, titled *Rudaba's Maids Return the Palace*, comes from the legendary *Shahnama (Book of Kings)* of Tahmasp, a of Safavid Persian art created around 1525. The *Shahnama*, epic poem by Abu'l Qasim Firda from the early 11th century, chronicles Iran's mythical kings and heroes. This page, illustrated by 'Abd al-'Aziz, captures a moment from the tale of the beautiful princess Rudaba, as her maids hurry back to the palace—likely amid intrigue and romance in the story of her love with the hero Zal. As Folio 71v, it exemplifies the opulent Persian miniature tradition, using opaqu...
About the Artist
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi|'Abd al-'Aziz · 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...