Illuminated Folio (recto) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213-1291)
Sultan Ali Mashhadi (Iranian, 1520)c. 1475–1500, borders added c. 1550
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
The <em>Gulistan, </em>completed around 1258, is one of the most celebrated works of Persian literature. The book’s name means “rose garden” in Persian; just as a rose garden is a collection of flowers, the contents are a collection of anecdotes. Written in both prose and verse, the <em>Gulistan </em>was used for centuries as a primer for schoolchildren in greater Iran, India, and Turkey. The text on these pages is written in <em>nastaliq </em>script and comes from the first chapter, “On the Conduct of Kings.”
The exquisite borders of these two folios show lions, dragons, foxes, and peacocks in a lush landscape, painted in gold and silver that has tarnished over time.
- Title: Illuminated Folio (recto) from a Gulistan (Rose Garden) of Sa'di (c. 1213-1291)
- Creator: Sultan Ali Mashhadi (Iranian, 1520)
- Date Created: c. 1475–1500, borders added c. 1550
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 30 x 19 cm (11 13/16 x 7 1/2 in.); Text area: 16.1 x 9.6 cm (6 5/16 x 3 3/4 in.)
- Provenance: William Kelly Simpson [1928-2017], ?-2006, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 2006-present
- Type: Manuscript
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2006.148.a
- Medium: Opaque watercolor, ink, gold, and silver on paper
- Department: Islamic Art
- Culture: Afghanistan, Herat, Timurid period (1370–1501)
- Credit Line: Gift of William Kelly Simpson in memory of his wife Marilyn M. Simpson and her grandparents Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
- Collection: Islamic Art
- Accession Number: 2006.148.a
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