Shahnama Project : Shahnama

Firdausi

Shahnama Project

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>A substantial set of 28 paintings of uncertain origin (India or Iran), evidently from the late 15th century. Other pictures seemingly from the same dispersed MS are to be found elsewhere, e.g. in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.</p><p>The paintings have been framed with floral borders that appear to have been stuck over the surrounding text, which as a result is badly damaged and obscured, as are the reverse sides which at some stage were evidently stuck down onto a board for framing. The original folios also have been cut down and in some cases cannibalised to provide a base for the ensemble.</p><p>The sample page is the text side of 19.777.</p><p>Briefly viewed with LW on 12 March 2014. Various questions remain to be investigated regarding this MS, including the attempt to read the verses sometimes visible, over which the image have been pasted. The dimensions of each image need to be entered, and the paintings, in so far as they can be identified, reordered in the sequence they would appear in the text. The bibliography for a discussion of the manuscript is also required.</p></p>