Object Details
Calligrapher
Sultan Muhammad Nur
Artist
Shaykhzada
Description
Detached folio from a copy of the Divan (collected poems) by Hafiz (F1932.45) with selections from the work of Ibn Yamin, Omar Khayyam, and Nizami in the margins; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; headings in white; recto: text: two columns, 12 lines and marginal verses; verso: illustration and text: Feast of 'id; one of a group of 9 detached folios (F 1932.46-54) from the bound manuscript (F1932.45); accessioned separately.
Border: The text and the painting are set in gold, black, and blue rulings on cream-colored paper.
Label
This illustration belongs to an early-sixteenth-century copy of the Divan of the great Persian poet Hafiz. Known for his ghazals (lyrical odes), Hafiz's verses elaborate on certain abstract themes, such as youth, beauty, love, and wine, that are common to much of classical Persian poetry. His work is also infused with a distinct mystical content, associated with the Sufi sect of Islam.
The Feast of Id is inscribed with the following verses:
It is time to celebrate, the end [of the season] and
friends are waiting,
Saqi (wine bearer), behold the moon in the king's
face and bring wine.
The celebration marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, which begins and ends with the moon's sighting. Here, the crescent is visible in the upper right corner. To translate the lyrical mood of Hafiz's poem into visual form, the artist has created a lush garden setting, where elegantly dressed men are conversing, reading, listening to music, and drinking wine.
Provenance
To 1931
Claude Anet (1868-1931), Paris to 1931 [1]
1932
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), acquired in Paris, March 21, 1932 [2]
From 1932
Freer Gallery of Art, puchased from Hagop Kevorkian in 1932 [3]
Notes:
[1] Object file, folder sheet note.
[2] See Hagop Kevorkian's letter to Mr. Lodge, dated March 25, 1932 Paris, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
[3] Object file, undated folder sheet note. See also Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.
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)
Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art (September 27, 1985 to November 17, 1986)
Near Eastern Ceramics (June 24, 1982 to September 23, 1982)
Near Eastern Ceramics (May 14, 1981 to May 10, 1985)
Art of the Court of Shah Tahmasp (December 16, 1979 to August 14, 1980)
Art of the Near East (August 21, 1977 to December 14, 1979)
Ceramics from the World of Islam (January 16, 1974 to July 1, 1974)
Persian Art (January 1, 1963 to September 3, 1963)
Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)
Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, Pottery, Metalwork, and Glass (April 12, 1955 to November 21, 1955)
Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Arts, 1947 (October 6, 1947 to February 25, 1956)
Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Paintings (May 1, 1945 to September 25, 1947)
Untitled Exhibition, Persian Paintings and Ceramics (May 5, 1933 to January 9, 1945)
Previous custodian or owner
Claude Anet (1868-1931)
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962)
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Date
1523-24 (930 A.H.)
Period
Safavid period
Accession Number
F1932.51
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Manuscript
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 30 x 18.9 cm (11 13/16 x 7 7/16 in)
Origin
Herat, Afghanistan
Related Online Resources
Google Arts & Culture
See more items in
National Museum of Asian Art
Data Source
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic
music
Safavid period (1501 - 1722)
eating
celebration
poetry
courtier
garden
Afghanistan
prince
Arts of the Islamic World
Link to Original Record
Record ID
fsg_F1932.51