The Windsor Shahnama of 1648 - Hardcover

B.W. Robinson; Eleanor Sims; Manijeh Bayani

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1903470536 ISBN 13: 9781903470534

Publisher: Paul Holberton Publishing, 2007

Synopsis

The Shahnama ( Book of Kings ), which chronicles the history of Iran from the Creation to the Islamic conquest, was written by the poet Firdawsi at the turn of the 11th century. Its central importance to Iranian culture is reflected in the thousands of copies made since then, many superbly illustrated and produced for royal and other powerful patrons. One of these copies, presented to Queen Victoria in 1839, is one of the finest treasures among the collection of Islamic manuscripts now in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. Its 148 colourful images, which are in superb condition, show heroes, mythical beasts and bloody combats and are complemented by particularly sumptuous marginal illumination in gold. B.W. Robinson relates the history of the Shahnama s composition, and describes the Windsor manuscript and the circumstances under which it came to Britain. He also provides a lively summary of the narrative to accompany black-and-white illustrations of every painting. Over 50 of these are also shown in full-colour plates. Eleanor Sims discusses in detail the likely attribution of the paintings in the Windsor volume, and compares other 17th-century Shahnama manuscripts; she also examines the wider cultural milieu reflected in the paintings.

About this title

About the Author:

By B.W. Robinson and Eleanor Sims, with contributions by Manijeh Bayani The late B.W Robinson (1912 2005) was an authority on many aspects of Islamic and Japanese art. Eleanor Sims, formerly of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the editor of Islamic Art, is an independent scholar who has written widely on Iranian art. Manijeh Bayani is a specialist in Arabic and Persian epigraphy.

About this edition

• Publisher: Paul Holberton Publishing
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1903470536
• ISBN 13: 9781903470534
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 255