Book of kings (Shahnama), Walters Art Museum MS. W.601

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcodePublished 2009

The Walters Art Museum600 N. Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland

21201http://www.thewalters.org/

This document is a digital facsimile of selections from a manuscript belonging to the Walters ArtMuseum, in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is one of a number of manuscriptsthat have been digitized as part of a project generously funded by the National Endowment forthe Humanities, and by an anonymous donor to the Walters Art Museum. More details aboutthe manuscripts at the Walters can be found by visiting The Walters Art Museum's websitewww.thewalters.org. For further information about this book, and online resources for Waltersmanuscripts, please contact us through the Walters Website by email, and ask for your message tobe directed to the Department of Manuscripts.

NOTE: The pages in this book are ordered from right to left. This means that to view the pages inorder, you should go the last page of the document and read what would be from “back-to-front”for a Western manuscript.

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fol. 278b:Title: Rustam combats Barzū, his grandsonForm: Illustration

fol. 289b:Title: Rustam combats Pilsum, a Turanian warriorForm: Illustration

fol. 308b:Title: Rustam rescues Bīzhan from the pitForm: Illustration

fol. 354a:Title: Kay Khusraw kills Shīdah (Pashank)Form: Illustration

Acquisition Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Binding The binding is not original.

Modern black leather (no flap)

Bibliography Storey, C. A. Persian Literature: A Bio-BibliographicalSurvey, Vol. 1. (London: Luzac, 1927- ), 112-159.

Richard, Francis. Catalogue des manuscrits persans. (Paris:Bibliothèque nationale, 1989), nos. 228-9.

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Form: Illustration

fol. 42b:Title: Incipit page with illuminated headpieceForm: Incipit; headpieceLabel: This incipit page has an illuminated headpieceintroducing the Story of Sām.

fol. 72a:Title: Sām battles the dīv NihangālForm: Illustration

fol. 79b:Title: Sām lassos Faghfūr of ChinaForm: Illustration

fol. 108b:Title: Rustam kills the white elephantForm: Illustration

fol. 122a:Title: Rustam fights AfrāsiyābForm: Illustration

fol. 131b:Title: Rustam kills the White Dīv (the seventh feat)Form: Illustration

fol. 157a:Title: Rustam kills SuhrābForm: Illustration

fol. 195b:Title: Gūdarz begs Kay Khusraw to return to PersiaForm: Illustration

fol. 234a:Title: Rustam shoots AshkabūsForm: Illustration

fol. 245b:Title: Rustam drags the Khāqān of China from hiselephantForm: Illustration

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Laid paper

Extent Foliation: ii+398+ii

Collation Catchwords: Written on versos

Dimensions 16.5 cm wide by 26.0 cm high

Written surface 11.5 cm wide by 19.5 cm high

Layout Columns: 4Ruled lines: 22Framing lines in blue, red, gold, and black

Contents fols. 1b - 398b:Title: ShāhnāmahIncipit:

Text note: Text begins with the preface (dībāchah),composed on the order of Bāysunghur; incomplete atthe end; last page contains the beginning of Nāmah-iGushtāsbHand note: Written in nastaʿlīq script in black and redinkDecoration note: Fourteen illustrations (fols. 27b,42b, 72a, 79b, 108b, 122a, 131b, 157a, 195b, 234a,245b, 278b, 289b, 308b, and 354a); three illuminatedheadpieces (fols. 1b, 15b, and 42b); framing lines inblue, red, gold, and black

Decoration fol. 1b:Title: Incipit page with illuminated headpieceForm: Incipit; headpiece

fol. 15b:Title: Incipit page with illuminated headpieceForm: Incipit; headpieceLabel: This incipit page with illuminated headpieceintroduces the text of the Shāhnāmah.

fol. 27b:Title: Farīdūn and Jamshīd’s daughters Arnavāz andShahrnavāz

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Shelf mark Walters Art Museum Ms. W.601

Descriptive Title Book of kings (Shahnama)

Text title ShāhnāmahVernacular:

Author Authority name: FirdawsīAs-written name: Abū al-Qāsim Ḥasan ibn Isḥāq FirdawsīṬūsīName, in vernacular:

Note: Author dates preferred by cataloger: d. 411 or 416 AH /1020-5 CE

Abstract This is an illuminated and illustrated Safavid copy of theShāhnāmah (Book of kings) by Firdawsī (d. 411 or 416AH / 1020-5 CE), dated 1028 AH / 1618-9 CE. The text,which is incomplete, begins with the preface (dībāchah),composed on the order of Bāysunghur. It is written in blacknastaʿlīq script with chapter/section headings in red. Themanuscript contains fourteen illustrations that appear to belater additions, perhaps dating to the 13th century A.H./ 19thcentury C.E., and may have been executed in India or Iran.The black leather binding is modern.

Date 1028 AH / 1618-9 CE

Origin Iran

Form Book

Genre Historical

Language The primary language in this manuscript is Persian.

Colophon 15a:Transliteration: tammat al-Dībāchah [sic] Shahnāmah [sic]bi-tawfīq Allāh /1/ taʿālá fī shuhūr sanat thamāniyah wa-ʿishrīn wa-alf /2/ tamma tamma tamma /3/Comment: At the end of the preface

Support material Paper

This document is a digital facsimile of selections from a manuscript belonging to the Walters ArtMuseum, in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is one of a number of manuscriptsthat have been digitized as part of a project generously funded by the National Endowment forthe Humanities, and by an anonymous donor to the Walters Art Museum. More details aboutthe manuscripts at the Walters can be found by visiting The Walters Art Museum's websitewww.thewalters.org. For further information about this book, and online resources for Waltersmanuscripts, please contact us through the Walters Website by email, and ask for your message tobe directed to the Department of Manuscripts.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcodePublished 2011

A digital facsimile of selections fromWaltersMs. W.601, Book of kings (Shahnama)

Title: Shāhnāmah

Published by: The Walters Art Museum600 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21201

http://www.thewalters.org/