Folio from a Sulwan al-muta (Solace of pleasure) by Ibn Zafar; recto: text, ; verso: illustration: The horse and the boar

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.

View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Object Details

Author

Muhammad ibn Zafar (born 1104)

Description

Folio from a dispersed copy of Sulwan al-muta by Ibn Zafar; text: Arabic in black naskh script; recto: text: 13 lines; verso: illustration and text: The horse and the boar, 3 lines; one of a group of 2 folios.

Label

The Sulwan al-muta' (Solace of Pleasure), composed in 1159 by Ibn Zafar of Sicily, is a series of animal fables illustrating the consequences of human behavior. Written as a moral and ethical guide, it relates closely to the Kalila va Dimna, one of the most frequently illustrated texts of the medieval Muslim world.

The painting relates to a story about the effects of corruption and lying. According to the text, a horse, the embodiment of the liar's soul, crosses a river. His saddle and collar swell with water and almost suffocate him. The horse asks a passing boar for help. Not satisfied with the horse's explanation for his pitiful condition, the boar considers him guilty of some wrongdoing and leaves the animal to his fate.

The text does not mention the turbaned man on the right, perhaps the narrator.

Collection

Freer Gallery of Art Collection

Exhibition History

Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)

Art of the Mamluks (May 14, 1981 to May 25, 1982)

Art of the Arab World (May 8, 1975 to August 20, 1977)

Near Eastern Art (January 1, 1963 to August 18, 1967)

Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)

Credit Line

Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

Date

ca.1335

Period

Mamluk period

Accession Number

F1954.1

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Manuscript

Medium

Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper

Dimensions

H x W: 24.9 x 17.6 cm (9 13/16 x 6 15/16 in)

Origin

Probably Egypt

Related Online Resources

Google Arts & Culture

See more items in

National Museum of Asian Art

Data Source

National Museum of Asian Art

Topic

boar

horse

Mamluk period (1250 - 1517)

man

Egypt

Arts of the Islamic World

Metadata Usage