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Illuminated folio from an unidentified manuscript | Harvard Art Museums | KenAI

Harvard Art Museums
Artworks
Illuminated folio from an unidentified manuscript

Illuminated folio from an unidentified manuscript

ManuscriptsPersian16th century

Illuminated folio from an unidentified manuscript

16th century

Description

This page features a shamsa (sun), an illuminated medallion in which the title of a book or chapter was often inscribed. This shamsa is composed of abstract and floral forms in gold and blue surrounding a plain gold circular center, which has been repainted. An underlying inscription is detectable via X-ray, but unfortunately only one word can be read: as?abi (lords or possessors). Repainting aside, the shamsa is executed with delicate brushwork and careful attention to detail. Balanced and symmetrical in composition and palette, it compares well with other illumination produced in Central Asia and Iran during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Classification

Manuscripts

Medium

Black ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on beige paper

Culture

Persian

Period

Safavid period

Century

16th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

26.5 x 14.6 cm (10 7/16 x 5 3/4 in.)

Provenance

Stanford and Norma Jean Calderwood, Belmont, MA (by 1998-2002), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2002.

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