Lot Essay
This is a leaf from the majma' al-tavarikh of Hafiz Abru. The work, dedicated to Bausunqur, is a four-part history, more limited in scope than the jami al-tavarikh of Rashid al-Din. This leaf comes from the second part of the work, covering the history of Islamic lands up to the time of the last Caliph of Baghdad.
The incident related concerns events during the 8th year of the hijra. The Prophet asked Abu 'Ubayda to head an army against one of the tribes who lived by the sea. During the campaign, the Muslims suffered many hardships and were so hungry that they resorted to eating the leaves of the trees, until a large fish appeared which saved them from starvation.
Other folios are in various collections,including the Art and History Trust Collection and the late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan.
Canby, S.: Princes, Poets and Paladins, London, 1998, nos.8-10, pp.28-31.
Soudavar, A.: Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992, pp.64-66
The incident related concerns events during the 8th year of the hijra. The Prophet asked Abu 'Ubayda to head an army against one of the tribes who lived by the sea. During the campaign, the Muslims suffered many hardships and were so hungry that they resorted to eating the leaves of the trees, until a large fish appeared which saved them from starvation.
Other folios are in various collections,including the Art and History Trust Collection and the late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan.
Canby, S.: Princes, Poets and Paladins, London, 1998, nos.8-10, pp.28-31.
Soudavar, A.: Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992, pp.64-66