A LOOSE ILLUSTRATED FOLIO FROM A SHAHNAMA BY FIRDAWSI (D. 1010): THE MYHTOLOGICAL KING KAY KAVUS ASCENDING TO THE SKY ON HIS FLYING THRONE
Safavid Iran, second half 16th century

Persian manuscript and opaque pigments heightened in gold on paper, the verso with four parallel text columns, each with 6 - 7ll. of black ink nasta'liq script, the large figural illustration occupying two-thirds of the folio and extending to the outer margins, depicting a renowned scene from Firdawsi's Shahnama (The Book of Kings) featuring the mythical Iranian king Kay Kavus, one of the most avid and impulsive kings in the Persian epic, being seduced and misled by the evil jinn Iblis (upper right corner) in the feat of conquering the Heavens with his flying throne, lifted by four hungry eagles (more like swans in the present folio) aiming to reach the succulent baits of meat placed on top of the four poles attached to the throne, the task ending in failure as soon as the birds grew tired, plunging the ruler and his throne back to earth in Amol, the sky enhanced with white and gold Chinese-style ru clouds, Kay Kavus's amazed courtiers portrayed in disbelief, with the index finger on their mouths, gathering around the windows and on the roof of the king's palace to not miss the momentous feat, the unillustrated recto with 23ll. of black ink nasta'liq text in straight and diagonal chalipa format, the heading in red ink, the text panels set within concentric orange, black, gold, and red rules, laid on a white cardboard mount.

22cm x 16.5cm the text panel

32cm x 21.5cm the folio

The story of Kay Kavus ascending to the sky appears to have been a favoured subject of several illustrated folios of the Persian epic by Firdawsi, especially during the early Safavid period (16th century). The sin of Kay Kavus' hubris is powerfully and effectively illustrated in this depiction, showing the king mid-way up the sky, surpassing the clouds, with a stern look on his face, and a bevy of mesmerised courtiers praising him from the palatial compound. Nevertheless, the moral of the story teaches the readers an important lesson: excessive pride and confidence can only get someone so far, before making them crash back down to reality (or literally, to the ground, in the Shahnama's story). For further reference and comparison with an early 16th-century depiction of the same scene in Shah Tahmasp's Shahnama, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection (inv. no. 1970.301.21).