Folio from a Rawdat al-safa by Mirkhwand (d. 1498); verso: The Caliph Mansur and Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq; recto: The Story of Imam Ja'far al-Sadeq

Object Details

Calligrapher

Inayatullah al-katib al-Shirazi

Author

Khwandshah (Mirkhwand)

Description

Folio from a dispersed copy of Rawdat Al-Safa Fi Sirat Al-Anbiya Wa 'l-Muluk Wa 'l-khulafa (Garden of Purity) by Muhammad b. Khwandshah (known as Mirkhwand); Persian in black nasta'liq script; heading in blue; recto: The Story of Imam Ja'far al- Sadeq, one column, twenty-five lines; verso: The Caliph Mansur and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq; one of a group of twenty; surface worn.

Border: The painting is set in gold, red, and black rulings on a paper with landscape and animal motifs; the text is set in gold, red, and blue rulings on cream-colored paper.

Provenance

?-1942

Henri Vever (1851-1942), method of acquisition unknown [1]

1942-1947

Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [2]

1947-1986

Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [3]

From 1986

The National Museum of Asian Art, by purchased from Francois Mautin [4]

Notes:

[1] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century. This object was in Vever's collection at the time of his death in 1942.

[2] Upon Henri Vever's death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited the object. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.

[3] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family's assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as "The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts." This object is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 3.

[4] The Museum purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file. This work is part of the Museum’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection.

Research updated on June 27, 2024

Collection

Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Previous custodian or owner

Henri Vever (1854-1942)

Francois Mautin (1907-2003)

Credit Line

Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler

1571-1572

Period

Safavid period

Accession Number

S1986.243

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Manuscript

Medium

Opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper

Dimensions

H x W: 41.2 x 27.3 cm (16 1/4 x 10 3/4 in)

Origin

Shiraz, Iran

Related Online Resources

Google Cultural Institute

See more items in

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Topic

Islam

Safavid period (1501 - 1722)

Imam

Caliph

Iran

Arts of the Islamic World

history

Henri Vever collection

Record ID

fsg_S1986.243

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3246fe743-2025-42c3-986d-92632282f324