Artwork Page for Illuminated Folio (recto) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)

Details / Information for Illuminated Folio (recto) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)

Illuminated Folio (recto) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)

c. 1475–1500; border: c. 1550
(Iranian, 1430–1520)
Measurements
Overall: 30 x 19 cm (11 13/16 x 7 1/2 in.); Text area: 16.1 x 9.6 cm (6 5/16 x 3 3/4 in.)
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The exquisite border was painted in gold and silver that has tarnished over time.

Description

In the border surrounding the Persian poetical text, deer and a lion coexist peacefully in a forest. This imagery may reference the rule of a righteous king.

The text is from the Gulistan, one of the most celebrated works of Persian literature, completed around 1258. Gulistan means “Rose Garden” in Persian; just as a rose garden is a collection of flowers, the contents are a collection of anecdotes. This page is from the section “On the Conduct of Kings.”
A manuscript folio features rows and columns of black Persian script within a central cream panel, surrounded by a wide dark teal border. This border is densely decorated with golden and silver flowering trees. A large peacock stands on a branch to the left, while smaller birds and golden animals move through foliage along the bottom. The composition balances structured calligraphy with a lush, shimmering scene of nature.

Illuminated Folio (recto) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)

c. 1475–1500; border: c. 1550

Sultan 'Ali al-Mashadi

(Iranian, 1430–1520)
Afghanistan, Herat, Timurid period (1370–1501)

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