"Rustam's First Encounter with Afrasiyab", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)
dated A.H. 1077/ 1666–67 CE
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H. 13 5/8 in. (34.6 cm) W. 8 5/8 in. (21.9 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Richard Ettinghausen, 1975
Accession Number
1975.192.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold this exquisite folio from the *Shahnama* (Book of Kings), the Persian poem by Abu'l Qasim Firda, completed around 1010 CE. Titled "Rustam's First with Afrasiyab it captures the heroic warrior Rustam—Persia's legendary champion—clashing with the Turanian king Afrasiyab, his arch-nemesis. Painted by the masterful Safavid artist Mu'in Musavvir dated 1666–67 CE, this scene pulses with drama, featuring charging horses and armored men locked in fierce combat, evoking the timeless tales of valor and rivalry that defined Iranian identity. Crafted during the Safavid dynasty's golden age of manu...
About the Artist
Abu'l Qasim Firdausi|Mu'in Musavvir · 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...