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Source Description
The image of a man on a horse fighting a lion evokes descriptions of heroic acts in Persian literature, which was read and recited aloud. Inscriptions at the bottom of the page name the royal artists Kamal al-Din Bihzad (died 1536–37) and Siyavush (died ca. 1616), an enslaved Georgian man who became a close friend of Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76). The presence of Bihzad’s and Siyavush’s names does not necessarily mean that these artists drew the composition. Instead, their names may have been written by another person who associated the subject and style of drawing with these two artists. The seal at the top of the page is dated AH 1126 (1714 CE). The borders, populated with a variety of flowers and animals, may also date to the 18th century.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
37347
label
Single Leaf of a Mounted Figure Attacked by a Lion
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
37347
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Single Leaf of a Mounted Figure Attacked by a Lion
description
The image of a man on a horse fighting a lion evokes descriptions of heroic acts in Persian literature, which was read and recited aloud. Inscriptions at the bottom of the page name the royal artists Kamal al-Din Bihzad (died 1536–37) and Siyavush (died ca. 1616), an enslaved Georgian man who became a close friend of Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76). The presence of Bihzad’s and Siyavush’s names does not necessarily mean that these artists drew the composition. Instead, their names may have been written by another person who associated the subject and style of drawing with these two artists. The seal at the top of the page is dated AH 1126 (1714 CE). The borders, populated with a variety of flowers and animals, may also date to the 18th century.
provenance
Kelekian Estate, 1952, by bequest; Walters Art Museum, 1952, by purchase.
date
mid 10th century AH/AD 16th century (Safavid)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
illuminated manuscripts
folios (leaves)
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
32.5
height
22
dimensionsRaw
H: 12 13/16 x W: 8 11/16 in. (32.5 x 22 cm); Image H: 5 5/16 x W: 4 1/16 in. (13.49 x 10.3 cm)
Source extras
cul
Islamic
dynasty
Safavid Dynasty
RelatedObjects
83868
83867
med
paper with ink and paint mounted on pasteboard
creator_ids
6747
collection_ids
MSS
ISL
MIS
exhibition_ids
709
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
d7b34e56346955f5