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Text of Rustam and Suhrab, from the Shah-nama of Firdausi (Persian, c. 934–1020) (verso)

Unknown

1610

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Mughal Painting Baroque Bijapur Deccan

Dominant colour

Text of Rustam and Suhrab, from the Shah-nama of Firdausi (Persian, c. 934–1020) (verso) is a 1610 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, depicting Bijapur, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1610 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a page of Persian calligraphy in black ink on cream paper, with a bold red heading at the top. This is part of the *Shah-nama*, a long poem about heroes and kings. The red line tells of Rustam, a warrior who unknowingly kills his own son in battle. The writing is neat, almost like a song on paper. It was made in Bijapur, a city in southern India, where Persian stories were loved. To see more pages like this, look up Bijapur.

The story of this work

Overview

This page of text from the jewel-like copy of the Shah-nama made in the southern Indian city of Bijapur describes the events leading to Rustam’s accidental slaying of his own son Suhrab. The larger text in red is a chapter heading, which reads: “The single combat between Rustam and Suhrab once more.”

Read the full account in the museum source.