Faridun crosses the Tigris on his way to fight Zahhak, from the Book of Kings (Shahnama) by Firdausi

Faridun crosses the Tigris on his way to fight Zahhak, from the Book of Kings (Shahnama) by Firdausi.
Detached folio, ink, pigments and gold on paper, Persian text with illumination, chapter-heading (recto) and painting (on verso), one of twenty-two folios from a partial copy of the Shahnama, attributed to the early reign of Safavid Shah `Abbas I, possibly Qazvin, Iran, c. 1590-1600.
Recto: four text-columns of Persian poetry with chapter-heading (Faridun crosses the waters)
Verso: full-page painting with small text-columns of Persian poetry, Faridun leads his cavalry army across the deep river, watched by the punctilious ferryman in his boat. The ferryman has refused to carry the army across, because they do not have the correct permit.