Kamal al-Din Wahshi Baqfi (d. 1583); Farhad wa Shirin, Qajar Iran, circa 1820-30

KAMAL AL-DIN WAHSHI BAQFI (D. 1583): FARHAD WA SHIRIN
QAJAR IRAN, CIRCA 1820-30
Persian manuscript on ivory paper, 325ff. plus 2 fly-leaves, each folio with 14ll. of black shikasteh arranged in two columns with double gold intercolumnar rules, further text written around on the diagonal, text panels outlined in gold and blue, margins with further gold rule, catchwords, headings in red shikasteh, with eighteen contemporary miniatures, opening bifolio with text in clouds reserved against gold and gold floral illuminated margins, the first folio with an elegantly gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece, three further illuminated headpieces within the text, in contemporaneous fine lacquer binding with landscape-oriented depictions of scenes from the stories, the doublures similarly decorated, overall good condition
Text panel 7 x 3¾in. (17.9 x 9.5cm.); folio 8 7/8 x 5½in. (22.4 x 14cm.)
The paintings in our manuscript are similar to those found in a copy of the Shahnama dated to circa 1810-18 in the Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Layla S. Diba and Maryam Ekhtiar, Royal Persian Paintings: The Qajar Epoch 1785-1925, New York, 1998, fig. XIII, p.173). The artist in both manuscripts demonstrates a certain exuberance for decoration and fills nearly all of the foreground with bright floral vine.
The illustrations include:
1. Khusraw and Shirin
2. Shirin sees Khusraw's portrait hanging on a tree
3. Shapur shows the portrait of Khusraw to Shirin
4. Khusraw spies Shirin bathing
5. Khusraw and Shirin meet on the hunting ground
6. Khusraw kills a lion in front of Shirin
7. Khusraw and Shirin together
8. Shirin and Shapur
9. Shirin hands a cup of milk to Farhad
10. Shirin scolds Khusraw outsider her palace walls
11. Khusraw and Shirin address each other through the minstrels Barbad and Nakisa
12. Khusraw and Shirin are reconciled
13. The wedding of Khusraw and Shirin
14. Khusraw's funeral procession
15. Alexander asks for the hand of Roshanak
16. Nushabeh receives Alexander disguised as an envoy
17. Feast of Alexander and Nushabeh
18. Alexander composes a letter to the Khaqan of China
19. The Khaqan of China entertains Alexander

20. Alexander and the Chinese slave girl