Where can I see Folio B: Folio from the "Five Treasures" (Panj Ganj) of Jami (recto)?

Folio B: Folio from the "Five Treasures" (Panj Ganj) of Jami (recto) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Folio B: Folio from the "Five Treasures" (Panj Ganj) of Jami (recto)?

Folio B: Folio from the "Five Treasures" (Panj Ganj) of Jami (recto) is associated with Mughal Painting.

Artwork

Folio B: Folio from the "Five Treasures" (Panj Ganj) of Jami (recto)

Folio B: Folio from the "Five Treasures" (Panj Ganj) of Jami (recto) is an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Mushfiq. It dates from 1564 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Folio B is a painted page from the illustrated manuscript known as the “Five Treasures” (Panj Ganj) attributed to the Persian poet Jami.

Accession no.: 2013.315.2.a
Credit line: Gift in honor of Madeline Neves Clapp; Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon by exchange; Bequest of Louise T. Cooper; Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund; From the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection

About this work

Overview

Folio B is a painted page from the illustrated manuscript known as the “Five Treasures” (Panj Ganj) attributed to the Persian poet Jami. The sheet presents two distinct textual zones: a diagonal inscription along the border and a central block of verse arranged in columns. Both sections are rendered in decorative script and integrated into the illuminated surface of the page.

Subject & Meaning

The marginal text recounts an episode from the biblical story of Joseph, describing how his elder brothers propose to take him into the countryside under the pretense of teaching him the land, while secretly intending his murder. The central verses function as a moral aphorism, urging readers to smile frequently, likening a smile’s sweetness to that of sugar.

Technique & Style

The folio employs traditional Persian miniature techniques, with pigments applied to a prepared paper support and inked calligraphy forming the narrative and didactic elements. The diagonal placement of the border text creates a dynamic visual rhythm, while the central columns are organized in a balanced, symmetrical layout typical of manuscript illumination of the period.

History & Provenance

Created as part of Jami’s five‑volume compilation, the folio eventually entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is conserved as an example of Persian literary illustration. Its accession reflects the museum’s broader acquisition of Islamic manuscript material from the late medieval era.

Folio B: Folio from the "Five Treasures" (Panj Ganj) of Jami (recto), Unknown

Artist & collection

Artist

Mushfiq

Mushfiq was a sub-imperial Mughal painter who worked in the atelier of Abd-ur-Rahim Khan-i-Khanan (also called Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana), commander-in-chief of the Mughal army in the late 16th/early 17th century.