Portrait of Nushirwan the Just (verso) from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025) (1330–35): Art, History and Details

Portrait of Nushirwan the Just (verso) from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025) (1330–35) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

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

Mongol interest in the production of illustrated manuscripts eventually focused on Persian epic poetry. The Shahnama, a compilation of the epics and tales of Iran's legendary heroes, was a natural choice; the book included many subjects that suited Mongol taste, such as banquets, battles, hunting, and magical or fantastic events. Seated on the throne in the center of the painting is the Sasanian ruler of Iran, Khusraw I Anushirwan (531–579), descendant of Bahram Gur. Above the king's head an inscription reads, "Picture of Nushirwan the Just." The figure in the elaborate turban to the left of the king is probably the young Minister Buzurgmihr, famous for his wisdom and virtue. To celebrate the explanation of a troublesome dream by Buzurgmihr, Nushirwan held a series of seven banquets. The text around this painting describes the fifth banquet.

Object facts

• Title: Portrait of Nushirwan the Just (verso) from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025)
• Date: 1330–35
• Culture: Iran, Tabriz, Ilkhanid period (1256-1353)
• Type: Manuscript
• Technique: opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
• Dimensions: Sheet: 59.3 x 40.2 cm (23 3/8 x 15 13/16 in.); Image: 24 x 22 cm (9 7/16 x 8 11/16 in.)
• Collection: Islamic Art
• Department: Islamic Art
• Accession number: 1959.330.b

A detail from the museum

The symmetrical composition conveys the stability, balance, and restraint during the reign of King Nushirwan the Just.

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.

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.