Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi Salik b. Sa'id, Gilan, Iran, 1493-1494“This

Folio from a Shahnama (Book of kings) by Firdawsi Salik b. Sa'id, Gilan, Iran, 1493-1494“This painting is from a now dispersed two-volume copy of the Shahnama (Book of Kings) commissioned by Karkia Mirza Ali (1478–1504), a local ruler of the province of Gilan in northwestern Iran. It illustrates an episode from the persistent feud between Kay Khusraw, the mythical Persian king, and Afrasiyab, the villainous ruler of Turan.Originally, the manuscript contained 350 paintings, an extremely high rate of illustration, attesting to the importance of expressions of legitimacy even for short-lived, local dynasties, such as that of Karkia Mirza-Ali. The bold compositions, large puppetlike figures, and vibrant colors of many of the illustrations stand in sharp contrast to the more subtle and restrained style of painting prevalent in metropolitan courts in Iran at the end of the fifteenth century (for an example, see F1937.24).”I believe (although the Freer doesn’t say so) that this is from the delightfully named Big Head Shahnama.  The contrast in styles they’re pointing out here isn’t just metropolitan/rural: it’s also Timurid/Turkmen.  A refined style was favored in the north-west under the Timurids, and an exuberant style was favored in the north-east under the Turkmen dynasties.  Both styles eventually came together and melded under the patronage of Shah Tahmasp, a Turkmen who was raised in post-Timurid Herat. -- source link

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