شاهنامۀ فروسی

Walters Ms. W.602, Book of kings (Shahnama)

Walters Ms. W.602, Book of kings (Shahnama)

Shāhnāmah

شاهنامه

Firdawsī (author)

Abū al-Qāsim Ḥasan ibn Isḥāq Firdawsī Ṭūsī (author)

ابو القاسم حسن بن اسحاق فردوسى طوسى (author)

Muḥammad Mīrak ibn Mīr Muḥammad al-Ḥusaynī al-Ustādī (scribe)

This copy of Firdawsī's Shāhnāmah (Book of kings) was written by Muḥammad Mīrak ibn Mīr Muḥammad al-Ḥusaynī al-Ustādī, most probably in Herat (present-day Afghanistan). It was completed in 1028 AH / 1618-9 CE. There are two Arabic colophons, one at the end of the preface (fol. 7a) and the other at the end of part 1 (fol. 334a). The preface is by Abū Manṣūr Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Razzāq, who composed it in 346 AH / 957-8 CE. Although incomplete at the end, the manuscript contains eighty-three illustrations. Some are by a later hand and attributed to Safavid artists Rizā ʿAbbāsī and Shaykh ʿAbbāsī in the eleventh century AH / seventeenth CE (fols. 55b, 62b, 391b, 476b, and 479b). The lacquer binding is not contemporary with the manuscript and dates to the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE. For full description, see http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W602/description.html

The primary language in this manuscript is Persian. The secondary language of this manuscript is Arabic.

Eighty-three illustrations, some spuriously attributed to Riz̤ā ʿAbbāsī and Shaykh ʿAbbāsī (fols. 55b, 62b, 391b, 476b, and 479b); Double-page illuminated frontispiece opening the main text of the Shāhnāmah (fols. 8b-9a); illuminated headpiece for the beginning of part 2 (fol. 335b); illuminated headpiece (fol. 106b)

fol. 8b Double-page illuminated frontispiece Frontispiece This is the right side of a double-page illuminated frontispiece that precedes the beginning of the main text of the Shāhnāmah (Book of kings).

fol. 9a Double-page illuminated frontispiece Frontispiece This is the left side of a double-page illuminated frontispiece that precedes the beginning of the main text of the Shāhnāmah (Book of kings).

fol. 12a Kayūmars̱ enthroned Illustration

fol. 13b Hūshang discovers fire while planning to kill a dragon with a stone Illustration

fol. 15a Tahmūras̱ and the dīvs Illustration

fol. 23a Farīdūn defeats Z̤aḥḥāk Illustration

fol. 26b Farīdūn enthroned Illustration

fol. 30b The murder of Īraj Illustration

fol. 32a The birth of Manūchihr Illustration

fol. 36a Manūchihr kills Tūr in battle Illustration

fol. 38a Manūchihr kills Salm Illustration

fol. 41b Sām brings Zāl from the mountains Illustration

fol. 55b Sām receives Sindukht as envoy from the king of Kābul Illustration There is a later inscription on this illustration bearing the name of the painter Rizā with the date 1070 AH / 1659-60 CE.

fol. 62b Qubād discusses death before fighting Bārmān Illustration Illegible signatures are present, as well as the spurious date 1082 AH /1671 CE.

fol. 69a Rustam lifts Afrāsiyāb by the belt Illustration

fol. 75a Rakhsh kills a lion (the first feat) Illustration

fol. 76b Rustam kills a dragon (the third feat) Illustration

fol. 79b Rustam kills the White Dīv (the seventh feat) Illustration

fol. 82b The King of Māzandarān changes himself into a rock Illustration

fol. 102b Rustam mortally wounds Suhrāb Illustration

fol. 105b Tahmīnah laments over the body of her son Suhrāb Illustration

fol. 106b Incipit page with illuminated headpiece Incipit; headpiece This incipit page with illuminated headpiece introduces the story of Siyāvush.

fol. 113b The fire ordeal of Siyāvush Illustration

fol. 125a Siyāvush plays polo before Afrāsiyāb Illustration

fol. 128b Siyāvush marries Farangīs Illustration

fol. 138b Gurūy executes Siyāvush Illustration

fol. 147a Rustam fights Afrāsiyāb Illustration

fol. 158b Kay Kāvus receives Kay Khusraw on his arrival from Tūrān Illustration

fol. 163a Kay Khusraw enthroned Illustration

fol. 168b Kay Khusraw reviews his troops Illustration

fol. 176a Farūd retreats to his fortress and is mortally wounded by Ruhām Illustration

fol. 196a Farīburz marries Farangīs Illustration

fol. 204a Rustam kills Ashkabūs and his horse Illustration

fol. 207a Rustam captures and kills Kāmūs Illustration

fol. 216a Rustam pulls the Khāqān of China from his elephant by a lasso Illustration

fol. 224b Rustam wrestles with Pūlādvand Illustration

fol. 228a Rustam kills the demon Akvān Illustration

fol. 235b Bīzhan in chains is brought to the well Illustration

fol. 241a Rustam drinks wine with Kay Khusraw Illustration

fol. 246b Rustam fights the son of the White Dīv who guarded Bīzhan Illustration

fol. 247b Rustam rescues Bīzhan from the well Illustration

fol. 251a Kay Khusraw receives Rustam after Bīzhan’s rescue Illustration

fol. 263a Bīzhan kills Hūmān Illustration

fol. 264b Bīzhan slays Nastihan Illustration

fol. 274a Gīv fights Farshīdvard Illustration

fol. 278b Farīburz kills Kulbād Illustration

fol. 279b Gīv battles Gurūy (Gurvī) Illustration

fol. 280b Bīzhan kills Ruyīn Illustration

fol. 281b Zangah kills Jāvarjāsp with a spear Illustration

fol. 282b Gurgīn cuts off the head of Andarīmān Illustration

fol. 284a Gūdarz kills Pīrān Illustration

fol. 289a Kay Khusraw mourns Pīrān and the dead Turanians Illustration

fol. 290b Kay Khusraw kills Gurūy (Gurvī) Illustration

fol. 302a The army of Kay Khusraw battles the army of Shīdah Illustration

fol. 311a Kay Khusraw, having conquered Afrāsiyāb’s fortress, sits on his throne Illustration

fol. 314b Afrāsiyāb’s chieftains before Kay Khusraw Illustration

fol. 319a Kay Khusraw crosses Lake Zarah in pursuit of Afrāsiyāb Illustration

fol. 325a Kay Khusraw slays Afrāsiyāb Illustration

fol. 335b Incipit page with illuminated headpiece Incipit; headpiece This incipit page with illuminated headpiece introduces part 2 of the Shāhnāmah, beginning with the story of King Luhrāsp.

fol. 337b Luhrāsp enthroned Illustration

fol. 341b Gushtāsp kills a wolf Illustration

fol. 346a Gushtāsp fight with Ilyās Illustration

fol. 355a Bidarāfsh kills Zarīr, the brother of Gushtāsp Illustration

fol. 377b Isfandiyār kills Gurgsār during the seventh exploit Illustration

fol. 381a Isfandiyār kills Arjāsp Illustration

fol. 391b Rustam and Isfandiyār parley Illustration This illustration is a spurious later attribution to Shaykh ʿAbbāsī with the date 1097 AH / 1685 CE.

fol. 397b The first combat of Rustam and Isfandiyār Illustration

fol. 403a Rustam shoots Isfandiyār in the eyes with a double-pointed arrow Illustration

fol. 410b Rustam kills his brother Shaghād before dying in the pit Illustration

fol. 415b Humāy enthroned Illustration

fol. 423b Alexander the Great mourns the dying Darius Illustration

fol. 427a Alexander the Great meets Rushanak, the daughter of Darius Illustration

fol. 433b Alexander the Great kills Fūr, the king of India Illustration

fol. 456b The execution of Ardavān by Ardashīr Illustration

fol. 460b Ardashīr executes Mihrak Illustration

fol. 462b Ardashīr hangs Haftvād and his eldest son Illustration

fol. 465a Ardashīr recognizes his son Shāpūr during a polo game Illustration

fol. 472b Ardashīr, on his deathbed, cedes the throne to Shāpūr Illustration

fol. 476b Bahrām Bahrāmiyān enthroned Illustration This illustration is a spurious later attribution to Shaykh ʿAbbāsī with the date 1097 AH / 1685 CE.

fol. 479b The infant king Shāpūr II enthroned Illustration This illustration is a spurious later attribution to Riz̤ā ʿAbbāsī with the date 1097 AH / 1685 CE.

fol. 486a Shāpūr cuts off the nose and ears of the king of Rūm Illustration

fol. 488a Shāpūr besieges the Roman fortress of Naṣībīn Illustration

fol. 493a Munzir introduces Bahrām Gūr to two maidens, one a servant, the other a harpist Illustration

fol. 494b Bahrām Gūr hunts with his men Illustration

fol. 499b Bahrām Gūr enthroned Illustration

fol. 504a Bahrām Gūr hunts lions Illustration

fol. 513a Bahrām Gūr decapitates a lion Illustration

1028 AH / 1618-9 CE (fol. 7a, end of preface); 1027 AH / 1617-8 CE (fol. 334a, end of part 1)

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Persian

Arabic

paper

image/jpeg

1617

All Walters manuscript images and descriptions provided here are copyrighted © The Walters Art Museum.