"Rustam Shoots His Half-brother Shaghad through a Plane Tree", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi

Abu'l Qasim Firdausi

dated A.H. 887/1482 CE · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

Rustam, the great epic hero of the Iran, was lured by his treacherous half-brother to ride over a hidden pit implanted with spears, which impaled him and his trusted horse Raksh. However, with the last vestige of his strength, Rustam was able to shoot his murderer through the tree behind which he was lurking. This miniature is in the forthright style associated with the city of Shiraz under the Aq Qoyonlu (White Sheep) Turkoman domination. The compositions are usually simplified and balanced, while the overall effect is both vigorous and decorative.

Artist

Abu'l Qasim Firdausi

Date

dated A.H. 887/1482 CE

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Samuel D. Lee Fund, 1940