Illuminated folio (verso) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291) (calligraphy: c. 1475–1500; border: c. 1550): Art, History and Details

Illuminated folio (verso) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291) (calligraphy: c. 1475–1500; border: c. 1550) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Sultan 'Ali al-Mashadi (Iranian, 1430–1520).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The border scene is set in a magical forest bursting with blossoms. At the top, a winged lion chases a winged deer, who is caught in the bottom border. The imagery of a lion biting down on its prey dates from the Achaemenid period in Iran (550–330 BCE) and references the valor of the king. A fox scurries off to the right. The verse is written in the Persian language using nastaliq script. Sultan ‘Ali Mashadi was widely renowned for perfecting the nastaliq script, and his calligraphy was a model for many followers across the Islamic world.

Object facts

• Title: Illuminated folio (verso) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)
• Date: calligraphy: c. 1475–1500; border: c. 1550
• Creator attribution: Sultan 'Ali al-Mashadi (Iranian, 1430–1520)
• Culture: Iran
• Type: Manuscript
• Technique: Gum tempera, ink, gold, and silver on paper
• Dimensions: Overall: 30 x 19 cm (11 13/16 x 7 1/2 in.); Text area: 16.3 x 9.8 cm (6 7/16 x 3 7/8 in.)
• Collection: Islamic Art
• Department: Islamic Art
• Accession number: 2006.147.b

A detail from the museum

Meaning “rose bush” in Persian, the Gulistan is a collection of anecdotes in both verse and prose.

Collection credit

Gift of William Kelly Simpson in memory of his wife Marilyn M. Simpson and her grandparents Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.