Double-Page Illuminated Frontispiece of a Divan of Anvari

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Double-Page Illuminated Frontispiece of a Divan of Anvari

India, Telangana, Golconda, circa 1630-1635
Manuscripts
Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper
Image: 6 1/2 x 3 5/8 in. (16.51 x 9.21 cm) approximately; Sheet: 10 1/8 x 6 1/16 in. (25.72 x 15.4 cm)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Pratapaditya Pal (M.83.255.2)
South and Southeast Asian Art
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

This double-page illuminated frontispiece once belonged to a Divan (Book of poetry) of the Persian poet Auhaduddin Anvari (1126-1189)....
This double-page illuminated frontispiece once belonged to a Divan (Book of poetry) of the Persian poet Auhaduddin Anvari (1126-1189). Two other folios from this manuscript were sold at Christie’s, London, 2003 (Islamic art and manuscripts, sale # 6814, lot 135). The distinctive borders relate stylistically to a Fawaid-i Qutb Shahi (Issues or Benefits of [Sultan Abdullah] Qutb Shahi) produced for Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah (r. 1626-1672), now in the National Museum, New Delhi, and the San Diego Museum of Art (1990.473). The central panels are flowering vines with gold and blue blossoms. The panels are surrounded by predominately gold and blue margins with arabesque designs and blind cartouches that may have been intended for titles. The mirror-image borders feature simurghs (mythical avian creatures of Persia) perched in flowering plants. The brilliant palette of red, orange, green, purple, and blue typifies Deccani pictorial exuberance.
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Bibliography

  • Pal, Pratapaditya. Indian Painting, vol.1. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1993.