Harvard Art Museums > 2002.50.133: Double page: The Death of Luhrasp in Battle against the Forces of Arjasp (text, recto and verso), folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama by Firdawsi Manuscripts Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Double page: The Death of Luhrasp in Battle against the Forces of Arjasp (text, recto and verso), folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama by Firdawsi , 2002.50.133,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/146655. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2002.50.133 Title Double page: The Death of Luhrasp in Battle against the Forces of Arjasp (text, recto and verso), folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama by Firdawsi Classification Manuscripts Work Type manuscript folio Date 1562 Places Creation Place: Middle East, Iran, Shiraz Period Safavid period Culture Persian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/146655 Physical Descriptions Medium Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper Dimensions 37 x 24 cm (14 9/16 x 9 7/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History [Christies, London, 17 October 1995, lot no. 79]. [Mansour Gallery, London, before 1997], sold; to Stanford and Norma Jean Calderwood, Belmont, MA (by 1997-2002), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2002. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art Accession Year 2002 Object Number 2002.50.133 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Text folio with title “Kuhram comes to Balkh with the king” Published Catalogue Text: In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art , written 201387 A–B Double page: The Death of Luhrasp in Battle against the Forces of Arjasp A. Verso: text, with title “Kuhram comes to Balkh with the king” Folio: 37 × 24 cm (14 9/16 × 9 7/16 in.) 2002.50.133 B. Recto: text and illustration Folio: 37.2 × 24.1 cm (14 5/8 × 9 1/2 in.) 2002.50.41 Luhrasp, Kay Khusraw’s successor as king of Iran, ceded the throne to his son Gushtasp and became a Zoroastrian devotee in the city of Balkh. But when the new Turanian king, Arjasp, ordered his son Kuhram to lead the Turanians against Iran, the elderly former king met them in battle and was slain. According to the text, Luhrasp fends off individual attackers and is killed only when surrounded by his foes. Not until they remove the fallen warrior’s helmet and see his white hair do the Turanians realize that he is an old man. The artist has composed this scene symmetrically, crowding the background with two groups of warriors who proudly fly their banners and sound their trumpets. Mika M. Natif Publication History Mary McWilliams, ed., In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art, exh. cat., Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2013), p. 264. cat. 133, ill. Exhibition History In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/31/2013 - 06/01/2013 Related Works 2002.50.41 The Death of Luhrasp in Battle against the Forces of Arjasp (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama by Firdawsi Manuscripts Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
