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)

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Culture

Afghanistan, Herat, Timurid period (1370–1501)

Medium

Gum tempera, ink, gold, and silver on paper

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.)

Credit Line

Gift of William Kelly Simpson in memory of his wife Marilyn M. Simpson and her grandparents Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr. 2006.148.a

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Location

Not on view

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.”