Illuminated Frontispiece of a Manuscript of the Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds)
Farid al-Din `Attar|Zain al-'Abidin al-Tabrizi|Sultan 'Ali al-Mashhadi
text: dated A.H. 892/ 1487 CE; illumination: ca. 1600 · Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper · Islamic Art
Here we see the text block of the Mantiq al‑Tair, along with its elegant binding. While the colophon of the main text is dated to 1487, the manuscript was completed after coming into the possession of the Safavid ruler Shah 'Abbas I (r. 1587–1629). During his reign, four paintings were added, along with illuminated folios, marbled‑paper margins, and an elaborate gilded binding.
- Artist
- Farid al-Din `Attar|Zain al-'Abidin al-Tabrizi|Sultan 'Ali al-Mashhadi
- Date
- text: dated A.H. 892/ 1487 CE; illumination: ca. 1600
- Medium
- Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper
- Department
- Islamic Art
- Credit line
- Fletcher Fund, 1963
