20 The bee and its hive

Image details

TitleThe bee and its hive

Creator nameal-Qazwini, Zakariya'

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleAuthor/Writer/Publisher

Creation date1525–1575

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsUnknown

LocationTopkapı Palace Museum, Istanbul

Accession numberMSS H. 408

SubjectsIslamic illumination of books and manuscriptsNatural history illustrationBees

StatusThe Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence, fol. 256b; Istanbul; For Sultan Süleyman I

Related content: Chapters (1) Images (68)

Select a chapter below to view this image within the text.

1. Iconic Images: Platonic Forms and the Awe-Inspiring Cosmos

Persis Berlekamp

Wonder, Image, and Cosmos in Medieval Islam

As testimony to the great beauty of the silks and brocades of the Mughal emperor Akbar, the sixteenth-century court historian Qandahari evoked the image of Mani biting his fingers in astonishment...

Author

Persis Berlekamp

PublisherYale University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.37-57

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00270.002

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-21563&redirecttoanchor=68659

Chapter subject tags:Qazwīnī, Zakarīyā ibn Muḥammad, approximately 1203-1283Islamic illumination of books and manuscriptsIslamic education--PhilosophyCreation (Islam)Natural history illustration

Loading Images

View related images.

1 – 69 of 69 results

Qur'an page

Posted by:John Carlson

Jun 01

Creator roleAuthor/Writer

Creation dateAD 800–900

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, color and gold on parchment

DimensionsOverall: 9 3/8 x 13 1/4 in. (23.9 x 33.6 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

https://www.freersackler.si.edu/object/F1930.60/

Accession numberF1930.60

Qur'an page

The Wedding of Humay and Humayun

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureJalayirid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1396

Object typePainting

Dimensions12 5/8 x 7 1/2 in. (32 x 19 cm)

LocationBritish Library, London

http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Add_MS_18113&index=0

Accession numberMS. Add. 18113, f. 45v

The Wedding of Humay and Humayun

Description: Timur Granting an Audience at Balkh on the Occasion of his Accession to Power in...

Timur Granting an Audience at Balkh on the Occasion of his Accession to Power in 1370, from a dispersed "Ẓafarnāma," Shiraz

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1436

Object typeBook/Manuscript

DimensionsEach page 13 3/4 x 9 5/8 in. (35 x 24.5 cm)

LocationSackler Gallery, Washington, D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_S1986.133.1 and http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=22095

Accession numberS1986.133.1; S1986.133.2

Timur Granting an Audience at Balkh on...

Timur Granting an Audience at Balkh on the Occasion of his Accession to Power in 1370, from a dispersed "Ẓafarnāma," Shiraz

The Construction of Fathepur Sikri

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameTulsi Kalan

Creator nationality/cultureMughal

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1586–1587

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions14 3/4 x 9 1/2 in. (37.5 x 24.2 cm)

LocationVictoria & Albert Museum, London

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O9536/painting-tulsi/

Accession numberIS.2:86-1896

The Construction of Fathepur Sikri

Description: Illuminated diagram of rule from a "Naṣā'iḥ-i...

Illuminated diagram of rule from a "Naṣā'iḥ-i Iskandar" (Counsels of Alexander)

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 29

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIllustrator

Creation date1425

Object typeIllustration

MaterialsInk, opaque pigment, and paper

Dimensions19.6 x 10.5 cm, folio

LocationChester Beatty Library, Dublin

Accession numberAr.4183, fol. 12a

Illuminated diagram of rule from a...

Illuminated diagram of rule from a "Naṣā'iḥ-i Iskandar" (Counsels of Alexander)

Demon in Chains, Transoxiana

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1400–1430

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor and gold on paper

DimensionsImage: 10 1/16 x 13 1/2 in. (25.4 x 33.7 cm); Overall: 10 5/8 x 13 13/16 in. (27 x 35.2 cm)

LocationCleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland

http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1982.63

Accession number1982.63

Demon in Chains, Transoxiana

Pastoral Scene, from Sultan Ahmad Jalayir, Dīwān, Baghdad

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureJalayirid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1403

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, color, and gold on paper

Dimensions11 5/8 x 8 1/16 in. (29.5 x 20.4 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1932.30

Accession numberF1932.30

Pastoral Scene, from Sultan Ahmad...

Pastoral Scene, from Sultan Ahmad Jalayir, Dīwān, Baghdad

Nashmi the Archer

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameRiza

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1622

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor on paper

Dimensions7 1/2 x 3 7/8 in. (19 x 10 cm)

LocationHarvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts

http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/213050?position=6

Accession number1960.197

Nashmi the Archer

Mahmud of Ghazni receiving Indian elephants as tribute

Posted by:John Carlson

May 30

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1425

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk and watercolor with touches of gold metallic paint on paper

Dimensions43 x 33.7 cm

LocationWorcester Art Museum, Worcester, Massachusetts

https://worcester.emuseum.com/objects/11449/an-indian-embassy-before-sultan-mahmud-of-ghanzna-from-the

Accession number1935.2

Mahmud of Ghazni receiving Indian...

Mahmud of Ghazni receiving Indian elephants as tribute

Description: Rustam Sleeping While Rakhsh Fights the Lion, detached from an unfinished copy of...

Rustam Sleeping While Rakhsh Fights the Lion, detached from an unfinished copy of the Shāhnāma

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureSafavid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1515–1522

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsPaper

Dimensions12 1/2 x 31 3/4 in. (31.8 x 20.8 cm)

LocationBritish Museum, London

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=231523&partId=1&searchText=rustam&page=1

Accession number1948,1211,0.23, f. 6v

Rustam Sleeping While Rakhsh Fights the...

Rustam Sleeping While Rakhsh Fights the Lion, detached from an unfinished copy of the Shāhnāma

Building the Mosque of Samarqand

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameBihzad

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1480

Object typePainting

LocationJohn Work Garrett Collection, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

https://catalyst.library.jhu.edu/catalog/bib_847808

Accession numberGar. 3 c. 1

Building the Mosque of Samarqand

Illuminated shamsa with corner pieces

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 29

Creator nationality/cultureSafavid

Creator rolePainter

Creation datec. 1566

Object typePainting

MaterialsInk, opaque pigment, gold, and paper

Dimensions26.2 x 16.8 cm, inset

LocationTopkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberH.2161, fol. 94b

Illuminated shamsa with corner pieces

Illuminated sarlawḥ (first in a double-page) containing the names of God

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 29

Creator nationality/cultureSafavid

Creator rolePainter

Creation datec. 1566

Object typePainting

MaterialsOpaque pigment, gold, and paper

Dimensions28.3 x 16.3 c,, inset

LocationTopkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberH.2161, fol. 94b

Illuminated sarlawḥ (first in a...

Illuminated sarlawḥ (first in a double-page) containing the names of God

The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1314-1315

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, colors, silver, and gold on paper

Dimensions43.5 x 30 cm (17 1/8 x 11 3/4 in.)

LocationUniversity Library, Edinburgh

https://images.is.ed.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/UoEsha~4~4~60636~102844:World-History,-f-42r

Accession numberOr.Ms 20, f. 42r

The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad

Majnun Eavesdrops on Layla's Camp

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureSafavid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1556–1565

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper

Dimensions13 7/16 x 9 1/8 in. (34.2 x 23.2 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=40022

Accession numberF1946.12.253

Majnun Eavesdrops on Layla's Camp

The Nightmare of Zahhak

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameMir Musavvir

Creator name (description)Possibly by Mir Musavvir

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1525–1535

Object typeBook/manuscript

Dimensions13 1/2 x 10 7/8 in. ( 34.2 x 27.6 cm)

The Nightmare of Zahhak

Allegory of Drunkenness, from Hafiz, Dīvān, Tabriz

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameSultan Muhammad

Creator nationality/cultureSafavid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1525–1535

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, color, gold and silver on paper

Dimensions8 1/2 x 5 7/8 in. (21.5 x 15 cm)

LocationHarvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts

http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/303418

Accession number1988.460.2, f. 135r

Allegory of Drunkenness, from Hafiz,...

Allegory of Drunkenness, from Hafiz, Dīvān, Tabriz

The Seduction of Yusuf

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameBihzad

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1488

Object typePainting

Dimensions12 x 8 1/2 in. (30.5 x 21.5 cm)

LocationNational Library, Cairo

Accession numberMS. Arab Farsi 908, f. 25v

The Seduction of Yusuf

The Tomb of the Prophet in Medina, from a Collection of Prayers, Morocco

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureMoroccan

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1500–1600

Object typeBook/Manuscript

DimensionsEach page 5 3/8 x 5 3/8 in. (13.5 x 13.8 cm)

LocationMuseum of Islamic Art, Berlin

The Tomb of the Prophet in Medina, from...

The Tomb of the Prophet in Medina, from a Collection of Prayers, Morocco

The grapevine

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 20

Creator nameal-Qazwini, Zakariya'

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleAuthor/Writer/Publisher

Creation date1700–1800

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationPrinceton University Library, New Jersey

Accession numberMSS Garrett 68

The grapevine

Amr Disguised as a Doctor Treating Sorcerers in a Courtyard from the Hamzanāma

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureMughal

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1557–1572

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor and gold on cotton, mounted on paper

Dimensions26 3/8 x 20 1/8 in. (67 x 51 cm)

LocationBrooklyn Museum of Art, New York

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/23165

Accession number24.49

Amr Disguised as a Doctor Treating...

Amr Disguised as a Doctor Treating Sorcerers in a Courtyard from the Hamzanāma

Description: Bahram Gur and the Princess in the Black Pavilionv, from Hatifi, Haft Manẓar,...

Bahram Gur and the Princess in the Black Pavilionv, from Hatifi, Haft Manẓar, Bukhara

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureUzbek

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1538

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper

Dimensions10 5/16 x 6 5/8 in. (26.2 x 16.8 x 2.6 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1956.14

Accession numberF1956.14, f. 22

Bahram Gur and the Princess in the Black...

Bahram Gur and the Princess in the Black Pavilionv, from Hatifi, Haft Manẓar, Bukhara

Illuminated headpiece and calligraphy

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 29

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleCalligrapher

Object typeCalligraphy

MaterialsInk, opaque pigment, gold, and paper

Dimensions50.5 x 38.3 cm, folio

LocationTopkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberH.2310, fol. 15b

Illuminated headpiece and calligraphy

The turtle dove, the phoenix, and the crane

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 20

Creator nameal-Qazwini, Zakariya'

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleAuthor/Writer/Publisher

Creation datec. 1300

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationBritish Library, London

Accession numberMSS Or. 14140

The turtle dove, the phoenix, and the...

The turtle dove, the phoenix, and the crane

The bee

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 20

Creator nameal-Qazwini, Zakariya'

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleAuthor/Writer/Publisher

Creation date1322

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationSüleymaniye Library, Istanbul

Accession numberMSS Yeni Cami 813

The bee

Description: Faridun Enthroned from Hafiz-i Abru, "Majm'a-al-tawārikh,"...

Faridun Enthroned from Hafiz-i Abru, "Majm'a-al-tawārikh," Herat

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1425

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationTopkapı Palace Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberTSMK H. 1653, f. 21v

Faridun Enthroned from Hafiz-i Abru,...

Faridun Enthroned from Hafiz-i Abru, "Majm'a-al-tawārikh," Herat

Bahram Gur in the Green Pavilion from Nizami, Khamsa, Tabriz

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameShaykhi

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1480–1490

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationTopkapı Palace Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberTSMK H. 762, f. 170b

Bahram Gur in the Green Pavilion from...

Bahram Gur in the Green Pavilion from Nizami, Khamsa, Tabriz

Sa'd Defeating the Divs from Muhammad b. Husam al-Din, Khwarnāma, Shiraz

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameFarhad

Creator nationality/cultureTurkmen

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1476–1477

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationChester Beatty Library, Dublin

Accession numberMS. Pers. 293, no. 104, f. 104

Sa'd Defeating the Divs from Muhammad b....

Sa'd Defeating the Divs from Muhammad b. Husam al-Din, Khwarnāma, Shiraz

The Bier of Alexander, from the Great Mongol Shāhnāma, north-west Iran

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1328–1336

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions22 11/16 x 15 5/8 in. (57.6 x 39.7 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1938.3

Accession numberF1938.3

The Bier of Alexander, from the Great...

The Bier of Alexander, from the Great Mongol Shāhnāma, north-west Iran

Double-page illumination from a Qur'an copied in naskh

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 29

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleCalligrapher

Creation date1338

Object typeCalligraphy

MaterialsInk, opaque pigment, gold, and paper

Dimensions32.4 x 24.8 cm, folio

LocationMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/bound-section-of-a-quran-29029

Accession number29.58, fols. 1b–2a

Double-page illumination from a Qur'an...

Double-page illumination from a Qur'an copied in naskh

Rama and Lakshman Flight the Demoness Taraka from a Rāmāyana

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameMushfiq

Creator nationality/cultureMughal

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1597–1605

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, in modern bindings

Dimensions10 13/16 x 6 in. (27.5 x 15.2 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1907.271.1-172

Accession numberF1907.271.1-172, f. 35v

Rama and Lakshman Flight the Demoness...

Rama and Lakshman Flight the Demoness Taraka from a Rāmāyana

Illuminated headpiece and calligraphy in muḥaqqaq and naskh

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 29

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleCalligrapher

Object typeCalligraphy

MaterialsInk, opaque pigment, and paper

Dimensions50.5 x 38.3 cm, folio

LocationTopkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberH.2310, fol. 61b

Illuminated headpiece and calligraphy in...

Illuminated headpiece and calligraphy in muḥaqqaq and naskh

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi to Kings, from an album made for Jahangir

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameBichitr

Creator nationality/cultureMughal

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1615–1620

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper

Dimensions9 15/16 x 7 1/16 in. (25.3 x 18 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1942.15a

Accession numberF1942.15a

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi to Kings,...

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi to Kings, from an album made for Jahangir

Page from a 30-volume manuscript of the Koran, Baghdad

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleCalligrapher

Creation date1306–1313

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationTopkapı Palace Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberTSMK E.H. 234, f. 10r

Page from a 30-volume manuscript of the...

Page from a 30-volume manuscript of the Koran, Baghdad

Description: Bahram Gur in the Peasant's House, from the Second Small Shāhnāma,...

Bahram Gur in the Peasant's House, from the Second Small Shāhnāma, north-west Iran

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1300–1330

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, opaque watercolors, gold on paper

Dimensions6 5/16 x 5 11/16 in. (16 x 14.5 cm)

LocationBrooklyn Museum, New York

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/46202

Accession number36.239

Bahram Gur in the Peasant's House, from...

Bahram Gur in the Peasant's House, from the Second Small Shāhnāma, north-west Iran

The Angel Michael

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 20

Creator nameal-Qazwini, Zakariya'

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleAuthor/Writer/Publisher

Creation date1280

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationBayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich

https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0004/bsb00045957/images/index.html?id=00045957&groesser=&fip=eayaewqeneayaewqxdsydeayaxsewqeayaeayafsdr&no=&seite=71

Accession numberMSS cod. arab. 464

The Angel Michael

The camel

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 20

Creator nameal-Qazwini, Zakariya'

Creator nationality/culturePersian

Creator roleAuthor/Writer/Publisher

Creation date1280

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationBayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich

https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0004/bsb00045957/images/index.html?id=00045957&groesser=&fip=eayaewqeneayaewqxdsydeayaxsewqeayaeayafsdr&no=&seite=349

Accession numberMSS cod. arab. 464

The camel

Dancing shamans

Posted by:John Carlson

LocationTopkapi Serail Library, Istanbul

Accession numberHazine 2143

Dancing shamans

Rustam Fighting a Dragon from Firdawsi, Shāhnāma, Shiraz

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureInjuid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1333

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions3 7/8 x 4 3/8 in. (10 x 11.2 cm)

LocationSaltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library, St. Petersburg, Russia

http://primo.nlr.ru/07NLR_VU1:default_scope:07NLR_LMS010117481

Accession numberMS. Дорн 329, f. 45v

Rustam Fighting a Dragon from Firdawsi,...

Rustam Fighting a Dragon from Firdawsi, Shāhnāma, Shiraz

Page from a dismembered manuscript of the Koran, Khurasan or Transoxiana

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleCalligrapher

Creation datec. 1400–1425

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions69 5/8 x 39 3/4 in. (177 x 101 cm)

LocationFatema Farmanfarmaian private collection, London

Page from a dismembered manuscript of...

Page from a dismembered manuscript of the Koran, Khurasan or Transoxiana

Bahram Gur killing a Wolf from the Great Mongol Shāhnāma, north-west Iran

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1328–1336

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, colors, gold, silver on paper

Dimensions8 1/4 x 11 3/8 in. (21 x 29 cm)

LocationHarvard Art Museums, Cambridge, Massachusetts

http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/169542?position=2

Accession number1960.19

Bahram Gur killing a Wolf from the Great...

Bahram Gur killing a Wolf from the Great Mongol Shāhnāma, north-west Iran

Description: Illuminated frontispiece from a Qur'an copied by Shams al-Baysunghuri for Baysunghur...

Illuminated frontispiece from a Qur'an copied by Shams al-Baysunghuri for Baysunghur and 'Ala' al-Dawla

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 29

Creator nameShams al-Baysunghuri

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleCalligrapher

Creation date1434

Object typeCalligraphy

MaterialsInk, opaque pigment, gold, and paper

Dimensions35.2 x 26.2 cm, folio

LocationMuseum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberK294, fol. 2a

Illuminated frontispiece from a Qur'an...

Illuminated frontispiece from a Qur'an copied by Shams al-Baysunghuri for Baysunghur and 'Ala' al-Dawla

Description: The Torment of Those Who Squander the Inheritance of Orphans, from a...

The Torment of Those Who Squander the Inheritance of Orphans, from a "Mir'ājnāma," Herat

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1436

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationBibliothèque nationale, Paris

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8427195m

Accession numberMS. Supp. Turc 190, f. 61r

The Torment of Those Who Squander the...

The Torment of Those Who Squander the Inheritance of Orphans, from a "Mir'ājnāma," Herat

Mahmud ibn Sebuktegin donning a robe of honor from Caliph al-Qadir Bi’llah

Posted by:John Carlson

May 30

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1315

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationEdinburgh University Library

Accession numberOr. Ms. 20, fol. 121r

Mahmud ibn Sebuktegin donning a robe of...

Mahmud ibn Sebuktegin donning a robe of honor from Caliph al-Qadir Bi’llah

Colophon of a Ghurid Qur’an, detail

Posted by:John Carlson

May 30

Creator nationality/cultureGhurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1189

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationIran Bastan Museum, Tehran

Accession numbermanuscript no. 3507, fol. 198a

Colophon of a Ghurid Qur’an,...

Colophon of a Ghurid Qur’an, detail

Description: Mahmud of Ghazna Crossing the Ganges, from Rashid al-Din, Jāmi'...

Mahmud of Ghazna Crossing the Ganges, from Rashid al-Din, Jāmi' al-tawārikh, Tabriz

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1315

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions4 3/4 x 10 in. (12 x 25 cm)

LocationUniversity Library, Edinburgh

http://images.is.ed.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/UoEsha~4~4~60889~102867:World-History,-f-134v-detail

Accession numberOr.Ms 20, f. 134v

Mahmud of Ghazna Crossing the Ganges,...

Mahmud of Ghazna Crossing the Ganges, from Rashid al-Din, Jāmi' al-tawārikh, Tabriz

The Siege of Belgrade from 'Arifi, Sulaymānnāma, Istanbul

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureOttoman

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1558

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationTopkapı Palace Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberTSMK H. 1517, ff. 108v–109r

The Siege of Belgrade from 'Arifi,...

The Siege of Belgrade from 'Arifi, Sulaymānnāma, Istanbul

Description: The Birth of the Prophet from the first volume of Mustafa Darir, Kitāb siyar-i...

The Birth of the Prophet from the first volume of Mustafa Darir, Kitāb siyar-i Nabī, Istanbul

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureOttoman

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1594

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions7 1/4 x 7 1/8 in. (18.5 x 18 cm)

LocationTopkapı Palace Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberTSMK H. 1221, f. 223v

The Birth of the Prophet from the first...

The Birth of the Prophet from the first volume of Mustafa Darir, Kitāb siyar-i Nabī, Istanbul

Description: The Presentation of Gifts by the Safavid ambassador Shahquli to Selim II in 1567...

The Presentation of Gifts by the Safavid ambassador Shahquli to Selim II in 1567 from Loqman, Shahnāma-yi Salīm Khān, Istanbul

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureOttoman

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1581

Object typeBook/Manuscript

DimensionsField of each page 11 3/4 x 7 1/8 in. (30 x 18 cm)

LocationTopkapı Palace Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberTSMK A. 3595, ff. 53–54r

The Presentation of Gifts by the Safavid...

The Presentation of Gifts by the Safavid ambassador Shahquli to Selim II in 1567 from Loqman, Shahnāma-yi Salīm Khān, Istanbul

Leaf from an album of calligraphy, Istanbul

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameOsman, Hafiz

Creator nationality/cultureOttoman

Creator roleCalligrapher

Creation date1693–1694

Object typeCalligraphy

Dimensions8 1/4 x 5 7/8 in. (21 x 15 cm)

LocationMuseum of Islamic Art, Berlin

Accession number1.1983.11.1

Leaf from an album of calligraphy,...

Leaf from an album of calligraphy, Istanbul

Description: Tahmina Entering Rustam's Bedchamber from the Shāhnāma made for Muhammad...

Tahmina Entering Rustam's Bedchamber from the Shāhnāma made for Muhammad Juki, Herat

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1450

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationRoyal Asiatic Society, London

http://www.fihrist.org.uk/profile/manuscript/216fbd2b-3879-4303-afcf-59708d18b43f

Accession numberMS. Morley 239, f. 56r

Tahmina Entering Rustam's Bedchamber...

Tahmina Entering Rustam's Bedchamber from the Shāhnāma made for Muhammad Juki, Herat

Description: Kardana and the Tortoise become Friends from a dismembered Kalīla and Dimna,...

Kardana and the Tortoise become Friends from a dismembered Kalīla and Dimna, probably Tabriz

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1330–1370

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions8 x 7 3/4 in. (20.3 x 19.7 cm)

LocationUniversity Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberMS F. 1422, f. 19v

Kardana and the Tortoise become Friends...

Kardana and the Tortoise become Friends from a dismembered Kalīla and Dimna, probably Tabriz

Description: Youth Declaring his Love to a Lady, from Jami, Tuḥfat al-aḥrār,...

Youth Declaring his Love to a Lady, from Jami, Tuḥfat al-aḥrār, Bukhara

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureUzbek

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1547–1548

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationChester Beatty Library, Dublin

Accession numberMS. 215, f. 63v

Youth Declaring his Love to a Lady, from...

Youth Declaring his Love to a Lady, from Jami, Tuḥfat al-aḥrār, Bukhara

Black couple

Posted by:John Carlson

LocationTopkapi Serail Library, Istanbul

Accession numberHazine 2153

Black couple

Hand-washing Machine from al-Jazari, Automata, Egypt or Syria

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureMamluk

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1315

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions12 1/4 x 8 1/2 in. (31.1 x 21.6 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1930.75

Accession numberF1930.75

Hand-washing Machine from al-Jazari,...

Hand-washing Machine from al-Jazari, Automata, Egypt or Syria

Illuminated headpiece (detail)

Posted by:John Carlson

Jul 29

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleCalligrapher

Object typeCalligraphy

MaterialsInk, opaque pigment, gold, and paper

LocationTopkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberH.2310, fol. 15b

Illuminated headpiece (detail)

Description: A Muslim Pilgrim Learns a Lesson in Piety from a Brahman who is Crawling towards his...

A Muslim Pilgrim Learns a Lesson in Piety from a Brahman who is Crawling towards his Icon, detached from Khusraw Dihlavi, Khansa, Lahore

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureMughal

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1597–1598

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsInk, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, Margins: Gold on dyed paper

Dimensions9 7/8 x 6 1/4 in. (25.1 x 15.9 cm)

LocationMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446563

Accession number13.228.29

A Muslim Pilgrim Learns a Lesson in...

A Muslim Pilgrim Learns a Lesson in Piety from a Brahman who is Crawling towards his Icon, detached from Khusraw Dihlavi, Khansa, Lahore

Page for an album made for Jahanghir

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureMughal

Creator roleCalligrapher

Creation date1608–1618

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper

Dimensions10 1/2 x 6 1/4 in. (26.8 x 15.8 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1954.116

Accession numberF1954.116

Page for an album made for Jahanghir

Description: Prince Mihr Cutting off a Lion's head at one Blow from Assar, Mihr and...

Prince Mihr Cutting off a Lion's head at one Blow from Assar, Mihr and Mushtarī, Bukhara

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureUzbek

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1523

Object typeBook/Manuscript

MaterialsOpaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions7 7/16 x 5 in. (18.9 x 12.7 cm)

LocationFreer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.php?q=fsg_F1932.6

Accession numberF1932.6

Prince Mihr Cutting off a Lion's head at...

Prince Mihr Cutting off a Lion's head at one Blow from Assar, Mihr and Mushtarī, Bukhara

Double frontispiece to a single-volume manuscript of the Koran, Cairo

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureMamluk

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1370

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions27 3/4 x 19 1/2 in. (70.5 x 49.5 cm)

LocationNational Library, Cairo

Accession numberMS. 54, ff. 1v–2r

Double frontispiece to a single-volume...

Double frontispiece to a single-volume manuscript of the Koran, Cairo

Description: Jahangir Bids Farewell to Khurram at the Beginning of a Military Campaign from a...

Jahangir Bids Farewell to Khurram at the Beginning of a Military Campaign from a Pādshānāma

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nameBalchand

Creator nationality/cultureMughal

Creator rolePainter

Creation date1656–1657

Object typePainting

LocationRoyal Library, Windsor, England

https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/search#/4/collection/1005025-f/jahangir-receives-prince-khurram-on-his-return-from-the-mewar-campaign-19

Accession numberRCIN 1005025.f, f. 43v

Jahangir Bids Farewell to Khurram at the...

Jahangir Bids Farewell to Khurram at the Beginning of a Military Campaign from a Pādshānāma

Bahram Gur Kills the Dragon, from the First Small Shāhnāma

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1300–1350

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationChester Beatty Library, Dublin

Accession numberMS. Pers. 104.61

Bahram Gur Kills the Dragon, from the...

Bahram Gur Kills the Dragon, from the First Small Shāhnāma, north-west Iran

Page from a 5-volume manuscript of the Koran, Tunis

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureHafsid

Creator roleCalligrapher

Creation datec. 1405

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions9 1/2 x 6 1/4 in. (24.2 x 15.8 cm)

LocationBibliothèque nationale, Paris

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8442839d.r=392%20koran?rk=21459;2

Accession numberMS. Arabe 392, f. 25v

Page from a 5-volume manuscript of the...

Page from a 5-volume manuscript of the Koran, Tunis

A ruler serenaded by black musicians, p. 13, no. 1. Iran

Posted by:John Carlson

Nov 30

Creator rolePainter

Creation datec. 1300–1400

Object typePainting

Materialsopaque ink and gold on paper

Dimensions29.1 × 21 cm

LocationBerlin State Library

https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN635104741&PHYSID=PHYS_0025&DMDID=DMDLOG_0025

Accession numberDiez A fol. 71

A ruler serenaded by black musicians, p....

A ruler serenaded by black musicians, p. 13, no. 1. Iran

Double page from a manuscript of the Koran, Deccan

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureDelhi Sultanate

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1483

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions18 3/4 x 12 3/8 in. (47.6 x 31.1 cm)

LocationArchaeological Museum, Bijapur, India

Accession numberMS 912

Double page from a manuscript of the...

Double page from a manuscript of the Koran, Deccan

Description: Ghurid Qur’an of 584/1189, sūra 113, the penultimate chapter of the...

Ghurid Qur’an of 584/1189, sūra 113, the penultimate chapter of the Qur’an

Posted by:John Carlson

May 30

Creator nationality/cultureGhurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1189

Object typeBook/Manuscript

LocationIran Bastan Museum, Tehran

Accession numbermanuscript no. 3507, fol. 194b

Ghurid Qur’an of 584/1189,...

Ghurid Qur’an of 584/1189, sūra 113, the penultimate chapter of the Qur’an

An Abyssinian from Ahmadnagar, Northern India

Posted by:John Carlson

Nov 30

Creator nameHashim

Creator nationality/cultureIndian

LocationMuseum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar

An Abyssinian from Ahmadnagar, Northern...

An Abyssinian from Ahmadnagar, Northern India

The Fox and the Drum, from "Kalila and Dimna," Herat

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureTimurid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation date1429

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions11 1/4 x 7 3/4 in. (28.7 x 19.7 cm)

LocationTopkapı Palace Library, Istanbul, Turkey

Accession numberTSMK R. 1022, f. 28v

The Fox and the Drum, from "Kalila and...

The Fox and the Drum, from "Kalila and Dimna," Herat

Two Gazelles from Ibn Bakhtishu, Manāfi' al ḥayawān, Maragha

Posted by:John Carlson

Aug 22

Creator nationality/cultureIl-Khanid

Creator roleIlluminator

Creation datec. 1290–1299

Object typeBook/Manuscript

Dimensions6 5/8 x 5 7/8 in. (16.8 x 14.8 cm)

LocationPierpont Morgan Library, New York

https://www.themorgan.org/collection/treasures-of-islamic-manuscript-painting/19

Accession numberMS. M. 500

Two Gazelles from Ibn Bakhtishu,...

Two Gazelles from Ibn Bakhtishu, Manāfi' al ḥayawān, Maragha

Note: Some of the images of artworks presented on this platform were not sourced from the original print publication. However, in order to preserve the scholarly record of the print publication, all original image captions and credit lines have been retained on the platform. Learn more about our image policies.