Shahnama Project : Shahnama

Firdausi

Shahnama Project

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>Formerly Ethé 881. Ms. presented by Lt.-Col. William Kirkpatrick in 1804. European binding of 19th century, half calf. A mid-fifteenth century copy of the text, with an illuminated shamsa (f. 1r) and double title- page (ff. 1v-2r). The text breaks off in the reign of Khusrau Parviz, explicit: paraganda shud lashkar-i shahryar / siah gasht ruz-u tabah gasht kar (Mohl, ). The text seems originally to have had no illustrations - though there are some blanks (?). Instead, double-page frontispieces and finispieces have been added to the manuscript, at a later date: 3rd quarter of the 16th century according to Robinson, India Office Library, London, 1976, p. 104. These paintings are set in later, possibly 18th century, illuminated borders.BibliographyH. Ethé, Persian manuscripts in the India Office, London, 1903, p. 554 (no. 881)B.W. Robinson, Persian paintings in the India Office Library, London, 1976, pp. 104-6.</p></p>