"Rustam Lassos Rakhsh", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)
ca. 1450
Medium
Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
Page: H. 10 1/4 in. (26.1 cm) W. 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm) Text and painting box: H. 7 1/2 in. (19 cm) W. 5 in. (12.7 cm) Painting: H. 5 3/16 in. (13.1 cm) W. 4 11/16 in. (11.9 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1972
Accession Number
1972.285.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the dynamic folio *"Rustam Lassos Rakhsh"* from a *Shahnama* (Book of Kings), a lavishly illustrated 15th-century manuscript of Abu'l Qasim Firda's epic poem, created around 1450. This scene captures the legendary Persian hero Rustam skillfully lassoing his faithful steed Rakhsh amid a rugged landscape dotted with men, horses, and donkeys. The *Shahnama*, completed in 1010 CE, chronicles Iran's mythical kings and heroes, blending history, legend, and moral tales in over 50,000 verses—a cornerstone of Persian identity. Crafted in the Persian miniature tradition, this work employs ink ou...
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...