Shahnama Project : Shahnama

Firdausi

Shahnama Project

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>The ms. opens with a double carpet page (ff. 1v-2r) at the start of the prose Preface, the first lines of which, contained in the ornamented central medallions, are however effaced. The Preface continues to f. 14r.</p><p>The text of the poem starts on f. 14v, under an ornamented unvan, incipit normative.</p><p>There is almost always a page or two of diagonal (chalipa) script before the pages with paintings, suggesting that in this case, the device is used primarily for ornament rather than as a means of manipulating the text. There are three pages of chalipa script on ff. 302r-303r, at the end of book I. Book II starts on f. 303v with a double-page painting of the accession of Luhrasp (ff. 303v-304r).</p><p>Link to the digitised manuscript: https://art.thewalters.org/detail/30030/book-of-kings-shahnama-3/</p></p>