The Illuminated Border of Animals, double page from a copy of the Gulistan of Sa'di
Safavid dynasty (1501–1722), 16th century
Medium
Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper
Dimensions
28.9 × 36.8 cm (11 3/8 × 14 1/2 in.); Each page: W.: 18.4 cm (7 3/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
87564
Art Historical Context
Step into the luminous world of Safavid Persia with *The Illuminated Border of*, a stunning double-page spread from a16th-century manuscript of'di's *Gulistan*. This beloved 13th-century Persian classic, a treasury of moral tales, poetry, and wisdom, was sumptuously copied and adorned during the Safavid dynasty (1501–1722), a golden age for Islamic arts in Iran. Centers like Tabriz and Isahan flourished under royal patronage, producing manuscripts that blended literary reverence with breathtaking decoration. Crafted with opaque watercolor, shimmering gold, and precise ink on paper (28.9 × 36....
About the Artist
Islamic
Islamic art, a profound visual tradition originating in the 7th century CE, flourished across vast territories from Spain to India under Muslim rule, encompassing architecture, ceramics, manuscripts, textiles, and metalwork produced by diverse artisans rather than a single named master. Drawing from pre-Islamic Sasanian, Byzantine, and late antique influences, its early development under the Umayy...