Gushtasp working as a blacksmith in Rum

Details

Gushtasp working as a blacksmith in Rum
by Mu'in Musawwir
Safavid Persia, circa 1650

Gouache on paper heightened with gold, the prince sits before a kiln working the metal, another blacksmith sits before him, their young assistants standing behind them one holding a bellows, with four columns of text above and below the miniature (light staining and flaking), mounted, framed and glazed
miniature 9¾ x 5½in. (25 x 14cm.)

Exhibited

Islamic Painting in Persia and Mughal India, Addison Gallery of Art, Andover, Massachusetts, March 29 - May 18 1958 as No. 24, with two other from the same manuscript signed by Mu'in Musawwir.

Lot Essay

This extract from the Shahnameh relates how Prince Gushtasp, the future King of Iran, found himself in Rum following an argument with his father. He worked as a blacksmith in order to support himself, though unfortunately he was immediately dismissed for breaking the anvil with his very first blow. This miniature shows the prince while still gainfully employed.

More from Islamic

View All