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Lot Essay
INSCRIPTIONS:
In the lower margin: raqam-i kamina mu'in musavvir 'Drawing of the humble Mu'in Musavvir'
The celebrated artist Mu’in Musavvir is known to have illustrated at least six copies of the Shahnama, including the one from which our painting comes. Although none of these manuscripts bears a patron’s name or a place of production, the quality of the work historically led some scholars to argue that at least some of them were copied for Shah ‘Abbas II (r. AH 1052-77/1642-66 AD). In the mid-seventeenth century however non-royal connoisseurs commissioned some of the most sumptuous illustrated manuscripts, negating this theory (Massumeh Farhad, ‘The art of Mu’in Musavvir: A Mirror of his Times’ in Sheila Canby (ed.), Persian Masters: Five Centuries of Painting, Marg, 1990, p.115). A complete Shahnama with twenty-seven illustrations by Mu’in was sold at Christie’s, New York, 27-28 June 2006, lot 62.
Other illustrations from this Shahnama, characterised by Mu’in’s bold colouring and attention to detail, are in the British Museum (published by Sheila R. Canby, Persian Painting, The British Museum, London, 1993, pl.73, p.109), the Fogg Museum of Art (Ernst Grube, Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century from the Collection in the United States and Canada, Venice, 1962, p.130, no.113) in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (Farhad, ‘The art of Mu’in Musavvir: A Mirror of his Times’ in Canby (ed.), 1990, pl.1, p.115) and the former Rothschild collection (Colnaghi, Perisan and Mughal Art, exhibition catalogue, London, 1976, p.78, no.55). Another folio was sold in these Rooms, 13 April 2000, lot 283. Our painting is rare in that it includes the signature of the artist.
For another painting by Mu’in in this sale, and a note on this important artist, see lot 50.
In the lower margin: raqam-i kamina mu'in musavvir 'Drawing of the humble Mu'in Musavvir'
The celebrated artist Mu’in Musavvir is known to have illustrated at least six copies of the Shahnama, including the one from which our painting comes. Although none of these manuscripts bears a patron’s name or a place of production, the quality of the work historically led some scholars to argue that at least some of them were copied for Shah ‘Abbas II (r. AH 1052-77/1642-66 AD). In the mid-seventeenth century however non-royal connoisseurs commissioned some of the most sumptuous illustrated manuscripts, negating this theory (Massumeh Farhad, ‘The art of Mu’in Musavvir: A Mirror of his Times’ in Sheila Canby (ed.), Persian Masters: Five Centuries of Painting, Marg, 1990, p.115). A complete Shahnama with twenty-seven illustrations by Mu’in was sold at Christie’s, New York, 27-28 June 2006, lot 62.
Other illustrations from this Shahnama, characterised by Mu’in’s bold colouring and attention to detail, are in the British Museum (published by Sheila R. Canby, Persian Painting, The British Museum, London, 1993, pl.73, p.109), the Fogg Museum of Art (Ernst Grube, Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century from the Collection in the United States and Canada, Venice, 1962, p.130, no.113) in the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (Farhad, ‘The art of Mu’in Musavvir: A Mirror of his Times’ in Canby (ed.), 1990, pl.1, p.115) and the former Rothschild collection (Colnaghi, Perisan and Mughal Art, exhibition catalogue, London, 1976, p.78, no.55). Another folio was sold in these Rooms, 13 April 2000, lot 283. Our painting is rare in that it includes the signature of the artist.
For another painting by Mu’in in this sale, and a note on this important artist, see lot 50.
