Miniature from a copy of Firdawsi’s Shahnama. ‘The Court of Gayumarth’

Gayumarth was the first of Iran’s mythical kings. Under his rule, men learned to clothe themselves in animal skins, but otherwise lived in harmony with their four-legged fellow creatures. The idyll was shattered when Ahriman, the symbol of evil, sent his son, the Black Div, to conquer Iran.

Gayumarth’s son, Siyamak, goes forth to fight the div, but is killed. Then Gayumarth himself and his grandson, Hushang, go to war and slay the div.

In the center of the picture is Gayumarth, seated on a throne of boulders. On his right, Hushang is standing, while Siyamak is seated, announcing to the king and the people that the div has attacked.