"Rustam Shoots Isfandiyar in the Eye", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)
ca. 1330–40
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) W. 2 in. (5.1 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Gifts in memory of Richard S. Perkins, and funds from various donors, 2003
Accession Number
2003.330.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite folio, titled *"Rustam Shoots Isandiyar in the"*, comes from a *Shahnama* (Book of Kings), the monumental Persian epic poem composed by Abu'l Qasim Firda around 1010. It captures a pivotal moment in the tale of the hero Rustam, who defeats the invincible prince Isfandiyar by shooting an arrow into his one vulnerable spot: the eye. Dating to ca. 1330–40, this miniature reflects the golden age of Persian manuscript illumination under Ilkhanid patronage in 14th-century Iran, where epic narratives were vividly brought to life for royal audiences. Crafted in ink, opaque watercolor, ...
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...