Folio from a dispersed copy of Sulwan al-muta (Solace of pleasure) by Ibn Zafar; text: Arabic in black naskh script; recto: text: 13 lines; verso: illustration and text: The bear and the monkeys, 3 lines, one of a group of 2 folios.
Inscriptions:
Verso: "waqf" (endowment)
Label:
Ibn Zafar, a native of Sicily, composed the Sulwan al-Muta (Solace of pleasure) in the twelfth century. The text belongs to the popular genre of animal fables, intended as moral and ethical guides for the ruling elite. Such accounts were often referred to as "mirror of princes." In this illustration, a bear has taken his friend--a monkey with failing eyesight--to the monkey-doctor, known for his malice and meanness. Rather than showing compassion toward his ailing visitor, the monkey-physician makes his patient climb a tree in order to be examined. The illustration deftly captures the subtle psychological interaction of the protagonists: under the watchful eye of the bear, the gray monkey hesitantly approaches the physician, who is comfortably perched on a branch.
Collection:
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)
Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)
Art of the Mamluks (May 14, 1981 to May 25, 1982)
Art of the Arab World (May 8, 1975 to August 20, 1977)
Near Eastern Art—Paintings, Metalwork (August 18, 1967 to February 10, 1972)
Near Eastern Art (January 1, 1963 to August 18, 1967)
Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)
