An Illustrated and Illuminated Leaf from a Manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnameh signed by Mu'in Musavvir: King King Shapur Receives the Defeated Roman Emperor, Persia, Isfahan, circa 1660

Gouache heightened with gold on paper, 27 lines to the page, written in Nasta'liq script in black ink, in four columns, 4 headings in red ink, margins ruled in colours and gold, old collection label '136' and inventory number 66.391.2 on f.2b

ex-Collection R. Ettinghausen

In generally good overall condition, a few stains, some creasing, colours bright, as viewed.
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The present illustrated bifolium and the following single leaf both originate from a now dispersed manuscript of the Shahnameh, various leaves of which are signed by Mu'in Musavvir. Three leaves from the same manuscript are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Acc.Nos.1975.192.24-26), all of which are signed beneath the margin, and two of which bear the same inventory sticker (presumably Ettinghausen's) as the present and following lot. A further leaf is also in the Brooklyn Museum of Art (Acc.No.34.6012). This latter leaf shares similar use of colour to the present scene, and also the floral treatment to the bottom of the painting.

The gifted Mu'in was one of the most prolific artists of the later Safavid period. Born in 1617, Mu'in flourished for 72 years, producing single page drawings and paintings in addition to several complete manuscripts. As we can see in the present example, the style is typically Persianate, a characteristic of Mu'in, at a time when many of his contemporaries became increasingly influenced by European prints.