The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 22, 2024

Persian Verses: The Fortieth Year of King Kisra Nushirwan's Reign and the Story of Buzurgmihr (recto); Portrait of Nushirwan the Just (verso) from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025)

Persian Verses: The Fortieth Year of King Kisra Nushirwan's Reign and the Story of Buzurgmihr (recto); Portrait of Nushirwan the Just (verso) from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025)

1330–35
Sheet: 59.3 x 40.2 cm (23 3/8 x 15 13/16 in.)
Location: not on view

Description

Mongol interest in the production of illustrated manuscripts eventually focused on Persian epic poetry. The Shahnama, a compilation of the epics and tales of Iran's legendary heroes, was a natural choice; the book included many subjects that suited Mongol taste, such as banquets, battles, hunting, and magical or fantastic events.

Seated on the throne in the center of the painting is the Sasanian ruler of Iran, Khusraw I Anushirwan (531–579), descendant of Bahram Gur. Above the king's head an inscription reads, "Picture of Nushirwan the Just." The figure in the elaborate turban to the left of the king is probably the young Minister Buzurgmihr, famous for his wisdom and virtue. To celebrate the explanation of a troublesome dream by Buzurgmihr, Nushirwan held a series of seven banquets. The text around this painting describes the fifth banquet.
  • c. 1910-?
    (Georges Demotte [1877-1923], New York, NY)
    Homberg
    ?-1959
    (Mrs. Paul [Marguerite] Mallon [d. 1977], Paris and New York, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1959-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 221 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 221 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 278 archive.org
  • Persian Miniature Manuscripts. The Scottish Arts Council Gallery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (organizer) (August 13-September 11, 1977).
    Main Gallery Rotation (Gallery 116). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (December 16, 2013-December 15, 2014).
    The Classical Style in Islamic Painting. The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY (organizer) (November 1, 1968-January 4, 1969).
    The Exhibition of Persian Art: 7000 Years of Art in Iran. Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France (organizer) (October 19, 1961-January 31, 1962).
    Year in Review - Nineteen Hundred Sixty. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 30, 1960-January 1, 1961).
  • {{cite web|title=Persian Verses: The Fortieth Year of King Kisra Nushirwan's Reign and the Story of Buzurgmihr (recto); Portrait of Nushirwan the Just (verso) from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025)|url=false|author=|year=1330–35|access-date=22 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1959.330