Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami (d.1209); recto: text; verso: illustration: Caliph al-Ma'mun and the barber

Catalog Data

Calligrapher:
Murshid al-Shirazi  Search this
Medium:
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions:
H x W: 31.1 x 15.6 cm (12 1/4 x 6 1/8 in)
Type:
Manuscript
Origin:
Shiraz, Fars, Iran
Date:
1548 (955 A.H.)
Period:
Safavid period
Description:
Folio from the Makhzan al-asrar (Treasury of Secrets) in the Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami, text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; ; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; recto: text: 4 columns, 17 lines; verso: illustration: Caliph al-Ma'mun and the barber; From the manuscript (F 1908.199); accessioned separately.
Binding: The folio is bound with the rest of the manuscript in contemporary brown leather over paper pasteboards with doublures of cream-colored paper.
Provenance:
To 1908
Tabbagh Frères, Paris, to 1908 [1]
From 1908 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Tabbagh Frères, Paris, through the Bauer-Folsom Company, New York, in 1908 [2]
From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
Notes:
[1] See List of Persian Books and Paintings, S.I. 1592, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. In 1932, F1908.259-.284 were separated from F1908.199 and given their current numbers.
[2] See note 1.
[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
Collection:
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Persian Art (January 1, 1963 to September 3, 1963)
Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Paintings (May 1, 1945 to September 25, 1947)
Previous custodian or owner:
Tabbagh Frères (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
Topic:
Safavid period (1501 - 1722)  Search this
Caliph  Search this
Iran  Search this
Arts of the Islamic World  Search this
barber  Search this
Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this
Credit Line:
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number:
F1908.261
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
On View:
Freer Gallery 04: Engaging the Senses
Related Online Resources:
Google Cultural Institute
See more items in:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
Data Source:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye31af987f0-a399-43d5-a47e-a7414fd01142
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:fsg_F1908.261