Bahram Gur Arrives at the House of a Merchant, text page (recto), from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Bahram Gur Arrives at the House of a Merchant, text page (recto), from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 as manuscript (Iran, Tabriz, Ilkhanid period (1256-1353) · 1330–35).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

The Shahnama , a poem written by Firdawsi around 1010, tells the history of ancient Iran.

SERENDIPITYA little unexpected

FamiliarWeird

A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this manuscript as opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper.

The museum's collection notes: In this intense painting, Bahram Gur plunges his sword into the breast of a dragon. A favorite character from Iran's pre-Islamic history, Bahram Gur (reigned 420–38 CE) was a popular ruler of the Sasanian dynasty and a great hunter. He took the name "Gur," meaning onager (a wild ass), because it was his preferred game, although he also excelled at killing dragons. As evidenced by this illustration's rock formations, tree trunk, and dragon, Iranian painting in the Mongol period borrowed numerous stylistic and spatial elements from Chinese models. With the surging landscape and writhing dragon rendered with equal energy, this is a picture of ex

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtBahram Gur Arrives at the House of a Merchant, text page (recto), from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019

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