Harvard Art Museums > 2002.50.131: Double page: Rustam Mourns Sohrab and Carries His Coffin (painting, recto; text, 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: Rustam Mourns Sohrab and Carries His Coffin (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama by Firdawsi , 2002.50.131,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 10, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/146957. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2002.50.131 Title Double page: Rustam Mourns Sohrab and Carries His Coffin (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama by Firdawsi Classification Manuscripts Work Type manuscript folio Date 1575-1590 Places Creation Place: Middle East, Iran, Shiraz Period Safavid period Culture Persian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/146957 Physical Descriptions Medium Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper Dimensions 42.7 x 27.1 cm (16 13/16 x 10 11/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History [Mansour Gallery, London, before 1990 or 1992], sold; to Stanford and Norma Jean Calderwood, Belmont, MA (by 1990 or 1992-2002), 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 2002.50.131 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 This painting is part of a double-page composition that represents two final moments in the tragic tale of Rustam, the great Iranian hero, and his son, Sohrab. Rustam had departed the kingdom of his bride, Tahmina, before Sohrab’s birth. He was unaware of his son’s existence until they met, years later, on the battlefield, where Sohrab was leading the Turanian army against the Iranians. Not recognizing each other, the two champions fought in fierce single combat on three successive days. Only after Rustam managed to wrestle Sohrab to the ground and fatally stab him was the identity of the mighty young warrior revealed to his distraught father. The painting on the right depicts Rustam kneeling next to his dying son, who lies mortally wounded. Sohrab’s coat has been partially pulled off to reveal on his arm the amulet that Rustam gave Tahmina the night Sohrab was conceived. Warriors of the two armies, looking on in shock, encircle the two heroes. The painting on the left shows Rustam singlehandedly carrying the coffin of his son. The mourners around him raise their arms in the air, beat their chests, and undo their turbans in grief. The double-page composition is surrounded by lavish gold-and-blue illuminated borders consisting of curvilinear trefoils and floral tracery. Published Catalogue Text: In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art , written 201395 A–B Double page: Rustam Mourns Sohrab and Carries His Coffin A. Verso: text and illustration (of Rustam mourning Sohrab) Folio: 42.7 × 27.1 cm (16 13/16 × 10 11/16 in.) 2002.50.32 B. Recto: text and illustration (of Rustam carrying Sohrab’s coffin) Folio: 42.7 × 27.1 cm (16 13/16 × 10 11/16 in.) 2002.50.131 The paintings of this double page represent two final moments in the tragic tale of Rustam, the great Iranian hero, and his son, Sohrab. Rustam had departed the kingdom of his bride, Tahmina, before Sohrab’s birth. He was unaware of his son’s existence until they met, years later, on the battlefield, where Sohrab was leading the Turanian army against the Iranians. Not recognizing each other, the two champions fought in fierce single combat on three successive days. Only after Rustam managed to wrestle Sohrab to the ground and fatally stab him was the identity of the mighty young warrior revealed to his distraught father. The painting on the right depicts Rustam kneeling next to his dying son, who lies mortally wounded. Sohrab’s coat has been partially pulled off to reveal on his arm the amulet that Rustam gave Tahmina the night Sohrab was conceived. Warriors of the two armies, looking on in shock, encircle the two heroes. The painting on the left shows Rustam singlehandedly carrying the coffin of his son. The mourners around him raise their arms in the air, beat their chests, and undo their turbans in grief. The double-page composition is surrounded by lavish gold-and-blue illuminated borders consisting of curvilinear trefoils and floral tracery. 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), pp. 96-99, ill.; p. 237, cat. 95B, ill. Exhibition History Re-View: S231 (Islamic rotation: 5) Heroic Gestes: Epic Tales from Firdawsi's Shahnama, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 06/18/2010 - 11/27/2010 In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 01/31/2013 - 06/01/2013 Related Works 2002.50.32 Rustam Mourns Sohrab and Carries His Coffin (painting, verso; text, recto), 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