Miniature from a copy of Firdawsi’s Shahnama. ‘Rustam Kills the Turanian Hero Alkus with his Lance’
Western or central India; 1425-1450
Leaf: 32.2 × 26.3 cm
Inventory number 3/1988
Very little Islamic book painting has been preserved from the sultanate period before the advent of the Mughals in 1526. This miniature comes from a manuscript made by an artist who was highly influenced by Jain art from western India. Both the intense palette and the depiction of figures differ from those found in other Islamic painting.
Rustam is portrayed without his customary leopard helmet and tiger caftan. An unusual detail is Alkus, the whites of his eyes showing as he begins his death throes. The hierarchic perspective in which the heroes are largest and figures in front are smaller is also curious.
Rustam is portrayed without his customary leopard helmet and tiger caftan. An unusual detail is Alkus, the whites of his eyes showing as he begins his death throes. The hierarchic perspective in which the heroes are largest and figures in front are smaller is also curious.
Published in
Published in
B. N. Goswamy: A Jainesque Sultanate Shahnama : and the context of pre-Mughal painting in India, Museum Rietberg, Zürich 1988, fig. 9;
Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat.no. 54;
Kjeld von Folsach: For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection, Louisiana, Humlebæk 2007, cat.no. 30;
Joachim Meyer and Peter Wandel: Shahnama: the Colorful Epic About Iran’s Past, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2016, cat.nr. 17;
http://shahnama.caret.cam.ac.uk/new/jnama/card/cemanuscript:1139687002
Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat.no. 54;
Kjeld von Folsach: For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection, Louisiana, Humlebæk 2007, cat.no. 30;
Joachim Meyer and Peter Wandel: Shahnama: the Colorful Epic About Iran’s Past, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2016, cat.nr. 17;
http://shahnama.caret.cam.ac.uk/new/jnama/card/cemanuscript:1139687002
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