THE PROPHET SALIH BRINGING FORTH THE SHE-CAMEL FROM A ROCK

SAFAVID IRAN, SECOND HALF 16TH CENTURY

Details

THE PROPHET SALIH BRINGING FORTH THE SHE-CAMEL FROM A ROCK
SAFAVID IRAN, SECOND HALF 16TH CENTURY
Opaque pigments on paper heightened with gold, the prophet and two attendants facing a richly bedecked camel stepping out of a rocky outcrop, a calligraphic cartouche with three lines of white nasta'liq script on gold ground above, within gold margins and black rules, laid on gold speckled card
Folio 11 x 7in. (28 x 17.8cm.); illustration and cartouche 6 5/8 x 4in. (17 x 10cm.)

Lot Essay

This painting illustrates the story of the Prophet Salih and the she-camel. Salih is mentioned a number of times in the Qur'an. In this story, the people of Thamud ask for a miracle to believe in Salih's preaching and message. The she-camel is sent by God to Thamud to provide them with sustenance, as both a blessing and a test. The people of Thamud decide to slay it instead of letting it graze and prosper, a decision leading to the destruction of their city, (Qur'an VII, sura al-a'raf, v. 73).

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