"Battle between Alexander and Darius", Folio 279 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja
Sultan Muhammad Nur|Nizami
A.H. 931/1524–25 CE · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Islamic Art
This razm (battle) scene is set against a hilly background, with groups of figures engaged in combat. Three figures in the foreground attack their mounted enemies. A severed arm, a slain soldier, and a strewn helmet suggest the violence of battle, though the image itself betrays little ferocity. The details of weaponry, arms, and horse trappings provide a glimpse into the material culture of an early sixteenth-century battle.
- Artist
- Sultan Muhammad Nur|Nizami
- Date
- 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
