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THE COLLECTION OF PAUL RICHARD LOEWI (1879-1939) AND HIS DAUGHTER ERICA (1918-1996)

RUSTAM LASSOES THE KING OF SHAM

BY SIYAVUSH, QAZVIN, SAFAVID IRAN, 1576 OR 1577

Details

RUSTAM LASSOES THE KING OF SHAM
BY SIYAVUSH, QAZVIN, SAFAVID IRAN, 1576 OR 1577
An illustrated folio from the Shahnama of Firdawsi made for Shah Isma'il II, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, four columns of black nasta'liq above and below, ascribed to Siyavush on lower right corner, within gold and polychrome rules, reverse with 22ll. of nasta'liq, flanked by a column of 20ll. of nasta'liq written on the diagonal, a repaired tear to lower right, overall good condition
Painting 10 x 7 7⁄8in. (26.7 x 20cm.); text panel 15 3⁄8 x 9 1⁄4in. (39.2 x 23.4cm.); folio 18 1⁄8 x 12 3⁄8in. (45.9 x 31.3cm.)

Literature

B. W. Robinson, Persian Miniature Paintings from British Collections, London, 1951, no.62, p.21 (as Shiraz work, manually amended in the author’s personal copy to read Qazvin)
Roman Ghirschman, Kunstschatze aus Iran: Kunstschatze aus Iran von der prähistorischen bis zur islamischen Zeit, Zurich, 1962, no.1004
B. W. Robinson, “Persian Painting” in The Concise Encyclopaedia of Antiques, V, ed. L. G. G. Ramsay, London, 1961, 77 and pl.55D
B. W. Robinson, “Persian Painting” in The Complete Encyclopaedia of Antiques, ed. L. G. G. Ramsay, London, 1962, 817 and pl.296C
B. W. Robinson, Persian Drawings, New York, 1965, p.135, pl. 43 (colour).
B. W. Robinson, Persian Miniature Paintings, London, 1965, p. 16, pl. 28.
B. W. Robinson, Persian Painting from collections in the British Isles, London, 1967, no. 56(c).
Anthony Welch, Artists for the Shah, Yale, 1976, pp.22, 25 and fig.1
B. W. Robinson, "Isma'il II's Copy of the Shahnama", Iran: Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies, vol. 14, 1976, p. 4, no. 36.
Robert Hillenbrand, Imperial Images in Persian Painting, exhibition catalogue, Edinburgh, 1977, p. 68, no. 155.
B.W. Robinson, Studies in Persian Art, Vol. II, London, 1993, p.290

Exhibited

Exposition d’art persan, Musée des arts décoratifs, Paris, 1912, (parent manuscript)
Kunstschatze aus Iran, Kunsthaus, Zurich, 1962
Persian Painting from collections in the British Isles, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1967
Imperial Images in Persian Painting, Scottish Arts Council, Edinburgh, August-September, 1977

Brought to you by

Barney Bartlett Junior Specialist

bbartlett@christies.com +44 (0) 791 769 5730

Lot Essay

With the playful colours, dynamic landscapes and immense rock formations of daring shades the viewer is immersed in to the world of Persian mythology depicted in our folio. The scene shows Rustam lassoing the King of Sham (Syria). This event took place as part of the rescue by Rustam of Kay Kavus from the King of Hamavaran. Rustam, heading the Persian forces, was called upon to defeat the combined armies of the shah of Hamavaran - who through treachery had captured the Persian shah, Kay Kavus - and his allies, the shahs of Sham (depicted here), and Berber. After fierce fighting, Rustam captured the allied kings and the shah of Hamavaran asked for peace. In this battle scene, depicted with liveliness and verve, Rustam, identifiable by his tiger-skin coat (left foreground) appears to be lassoing the shah of Sham. The shah of Sham (right) has fallen off his horse and is bending forward on his knees, grabbing on to his lasso as he is being pulled by our hero. This dynamic scene is further strengthened by the clever way Siyavush has illustrated the two majestic horses, facing opposite ways and bursting out of the margins (for a detailed account see Warner and Warner, Shahnama of Firdausi, vol. II, 1909, pp. 95-98).

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