id: 125573 accession number: 1947.500 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1947.500 updated: 2020-11-04 20:12:25.754000 An Episode from the Story of the Sasanian King Khusrau and his Beloved Shirin, from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami (1141–1209) (verso); Persian verses from a Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) of Jami (d. 1492) (recto), 1540-70. Iran, probably Shiraz, Safavid period (1501-1722). Opaque watercolor, gold, silver, and ink on paper; double-sided; sheet: 29.6 x 16.2 cm (11 5/8 x 6 3/8 in.); image: 21 x 13 cm (8 1/4 x 5 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1947.500 title: An Episode from the Story of the Sasanian King Khusrau and his Beloved Shirin, from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami (1141–1209) (verso); Persian verses from a Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) of Jami (d. 1492) (recto) title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1540-70 creation date earliest: 1540 creation date latest: 1570 current location: creditline: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund copyright: --- culture: Iran, probably Shiraz, Safavid period (1501-1722) technique: opaque watercolor, gold, silver, and ink on paper; double-sided department: Islamic Art collection: Islamic Art type: Manuscript find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS --- measurements: Sheet: 29.6 x 16.2 cm (11 5/8 x 6 3/8 in.); Image: 21 x 13 cm (8 1/4 x 5 1/8 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Islamic art rotation opening date: 2012-12-03T05:00:00 Islamic art rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 3, 2012-December 9, 2013). title: Muhammad Shah's Royal Persian Tent opening date: 2015-07-13T04:00:00 Muhammad Shah's Royal Persian Tent. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 13, 2015-August 23, 2016). title: Arts of Iran (Islamic art rotation) opening date: 2018-10-30T04:00:00 Arts of Iran (Islamic art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 30, 2018-October 28, 2019). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * Imperial Images in Persian Painting. Scottish Arts Council Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland (August 13-September 11, 1977). --- PROVENANCE Purchased from Heeramaneck Galleries by J.H. Wade Fund date: ?-1947 footnotes: citations: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH date: 1947- footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: digital description: wall description: The Khamsa is a collection of five narrative poems, one of which is dedicated to the romance of Khusrau Parviz (590–628), a pre-Islamic king of Iran, and Shirin, his beloved Armenian princess. Khusrau’s turban has the anachronistic baton worn by Safavid royalty and the egret feather, an emblem of nobility instituted by the Mongols in the 1200s.
Here the lovers are seated before a tent in an idyllic landscape at night, indicated by the dark blue sky dotted with stars, painted with now tarnished silver. Shirin serves figs and pomegranates, symbolic of fertility, to Khusrau as attendants bring more figs and wine. Next to Shirin’s black horse, the musician at bottom right plays an oud, a stringed instrument similar to a lute. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. page number: Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 724 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1958/page/n132 The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. page number: Reproduced: p. 223 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1966/page/n247 The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. page number: Reproduced: p. 223 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1969/page/n247 The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. page number: Reproduced: p. 280 url: https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1978/page/n300 --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1947.500/1947.500_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1947.500/1947.500_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1947.500/1947.500_full.tif