Constellations (painting, recto and verso), folio from a manuscript of the Aja'ib al-Makhluqat by Qazwini
c. 1640
Description
This folio represents the Constellation of the Eagle, in the form of a blue fleur-de-lys; Constellation of the bird, also called the Chicken (probably Ornis, Cygnus, the Swan); Constellation of the Chicken-Bird; Constellation of Women with the seat; Constellation of Cassiopea, represented as a woman seated on a chair with her legs dangling; Constellation of Perseus, or the Bearer of the Demon's Head. This folio is from 'Part One' of the manuscript on heavenly things, the chapter on the characteristics of the constellations of the northern sphere. This page probably comes from a manuscript with a colophon stating that it was written in South Arabia, Yemen, in 1640.
Dimensions
29.8 x 21.1 cm (11 3/4 x 8 5/16 in.)
Provenance
John Goelet III, New York, (by 1960), gift; to The Fogg Museum of Art.
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