Description
In the border surrounding the Persian poetical text, deer and a lion coexist peacefully in a forest. This imagery may reference the rule of a righteous king.
The text is from the Gulistan, one of the most celebrated works of Persian literature, completed around 1258. Gulistan means “Rose Garden” in Persian; just as a rose garden is a collection of flowers, the contents are a collection of anecdotes. This page is from the section “On the Conduct of Kings.”
The text is from the Gulistan, one of the most celebrated works of Persian literature, completed around 1258. Gulistan means “Rose Garden” in Persian; just as a rose garden is a collection of flowers, the contents are a collection of anecdotes. This page is from the section “On the Conduct of Kings.”
Provenance
William Kelly Simpson [1928–2017], Katonah, NY, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?–2006); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2006–)
Illuminated Folio (recto) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)
c. 1475–1500; border: c. 1550
Accession Number
2006.148.a
Medium
Gum tempera, ink, gold, and silver on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 30 x 19 cm (11 13/16 x 7 1/2 in.); Text area: 16.1 x 9.6 cm (6 5/16 x 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
Manuscript
Credit Line
Gift of William Kelly Simpson in memory of his wife Marilyn M. Simpson and her grandparents Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller Jr.
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Illuminated Folio from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)
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Illuminated folio (recto) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)
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Illuminated folio (verso) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)
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Illuminated folio from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213–1291)
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