"The Nobles and Mubids Advise Khusrau Parviz about Shirin", Folio from the First Small Shahnama (Book of Kings)
ca. 1300–30
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
Text block: H. 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm) W. 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm) Painting: H. 2 3/16 in. (5.5 cm) W. 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1934
Accession Number
34.24.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Persian epic poetry with this exquisite folio from the *First Small Shahnama (Book of Kings), *"The Nobles and Mubids Adv Khusrau Parviz Shirin."* Dating to around 1300–30, captures a pivotal moment in the legendary romance of the Sasanian king Khus Parviz (Khosrow II) and Armenian princess Shirin, as recounted in Abu'l Qasim Firda's monumental 10th-century epic, the *Shahnama*. Here, nobles and mubids—Zoroastrian priests—counsel the king, blending courtly intrigue with themes of love and royal duty that captivated Persian audiences for centuries. Crafted in ink...
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...