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Scene of Feasting from Sultan Murad III's "Siyer-I Nebi" or "Life of the Prophet"

Lütfi Abdullahc. 1594

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Houston, United States

The Siyer-i Nebi (Life of the Prophet), the manuscript to which this folio originally belonged, is a religious epic narrating the genealogy, life, and death of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam. First composed in the late 14th century, by a writer named Darir, the text was later produced in a lavishly illustrated copy under the auspices of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III in the late 16th century.

The project was supervised by renowned Turkish calligrapher Lutfi Abdullah and was a major undertaking that resulted in a six-volume production accompanied by more than 800 illustrations. Volumes 1, 2, and 6 are still in the Topkapi Museum Library in Istanbul. Volumes 3 and 4 are, respectively, in the New York Public Library and the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Ireland. The location of volume 5 remains unknown.

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  • Title: Scene of Feasting from Sultan Murad III's "Siyer-I Nebi" or "Life of the Prophet"
  • Creator: Lütfi Abdullah
  • Creator Nationality: Turkish
  • Date Created: c. 1594
  • Physical Dimensions: w25.1 x h37.5 cm (sheet)
  • Type: Painting
  • External Link: MFAH
  • Medium: Opaque watercolors, gold and ink on paper
  • Period: Ottoman
  • Credit Line: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, museum purchase funded by His Highness the Aga Khan Shia Ismaili Community of Houston, The Levant Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Akbar Ladjevardian, The Francis L. Lederer Foundation, Marathon Oil Company, Mr. and Mrs. Omar Rehmatulla, Strategic Real Estate Advisors, London, Monsour Taghdisi, His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim Al Thani, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and the 2007 Arts of the Islamic World Gala
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

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