"Khusrau Catches Sight of Shirin Bathing", Folio 50 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja

Sultan Muhammad Nur|Mahmud Muzahib|Shaikh Zada|Nizami

dated A.H. 931/1524–25 CE · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

One of the five stories related in Nizami's Khamsa (Five Tales) concerns the love affair between the Iranian king Khusrau and the Armenian princess Shirin. This beautifully-detailed painting captures the moment when Khusrau first catches sight of Shirin, bathing in a stream. While the pond has now tarnished to near black, it was originally painting in shining silver, complementing the golden sky above.

Artist: Sultan Muhammad Nur|Mahmud Muzahib|Shaikh Zada|Nizami
Date: dated A.H. 931/1524–25 CE
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Department: Islamic Art
Credit line: Gift of Alexander Smith Cochran, 1913

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