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Collections

Manuscript of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizamicirca 1550

Not on view
Vertical book cover in gold-tooled leather with a dark border of lobed cartouches and a central mandorla medallion pressed into an all-over gold ground
Persian manuscript illustration with columns of Nastaliq script above and below. A central interior scene shows a seated figure in an elaborate turban receiving a large assembled group of robed attendants in orange, blue, and yellow. To the right, a highly decorated façade with floral tile patterns in red, green, and blue shows additional figures on a staircase. Fine opaque watercolor with gilt details.
Illuminated manuscript page with a decorated header in deep blue, gold, and red featuring intricate arabesque scrollwork and a central cartouche with Persian calligraphy in white; below, four columns of Persian nastaliq script in black ink on cream paper, framed with fine ruled borders.
Persian manuscript illustration with opaque watercolor and gold; a group of robed figures gathers in a courtyard before a tall flowering tree, flanked by architectural panels with blue and orange geometric tile patterns; smaller figures appear in elevated niches at upper left and lower right; bordered by columns of Persian script above and below the miniature.
Persian manuscript page with opaque watercolor illustration framed by columns of Nastaliq script above and below. Central scene depicts several figures in a rocky landscape with a gold sky; one figure on horseback, others standing, wearing colorful robes in blue, orange, and yellow. Delicate floral details throughout.
Persian manuscript page with opaque watercolor illustration framed by panels of Nastaliq script above and below. Central scene depicts robed figures on rocky terrain with a horse; gold sky and stylized flowering plants in background. Figures wear turbans and colored robes in blue, yellow, and orange.
Persian manuscript page with opaque watercolor miniature framed by columns of Nasta'liq script above and below. Battle scene with mounted and foot soldiers in orange, yellow, and blue armor on a rocky landscape against a blue sky; observers on a hilltop watch from above.
Illuminated manuscript page with a decorative headpiece in cobalt blue, gold, and red featuring intricate arabesque floral patterns and a central cartouche with Persian calligraphy. Below, columns of Persian nastaliq script in black ink with a smaller decorated panel mid-page.
Persian manuscript page with opaque watercolor miniature framed by columns of Nasta'liq script above and below. Interior court scene with multiple figures in colorful robes gathered around two seated figures on a patterned carpet beneath an arched pavilion; a flowering tree in a blue vase at center back. Gold-star ceiling and teal walls; figures kneel and stand in attendance.
Persian manuscript page with opaque watercolor illustration framed by columns of Persian script above and below. Central miniature on blue ground depicts two mounted figures on horseback and three standing figures in a flowering landscape with a green tree; figures wear turbans and robes in red, orange, green, and white with fine detail throughout.
Illuminated manuscript page with a large decorated panel featuring dense gold and cobalt blue arabesque scrollwork, small polychrome floral motifs, and a central pointed oval medallion. The surrounding margin is cream with a repeating blue floral diaper pattern.
Illuminated manuscript page featuring a large central carpet-page design with a gold medallion on cobalt blue ground, densely filled with gold arabesques and small polychrome floral motifs; outer border with interlocking gold lobed cartouches; margins decorated with scattered blue floral sprigs on cream ground.
Persian manuscript illustration with blocks of Nasta'liq script above and below. A robed figure in white turban seated on a hexagonal platform beneath an ornate golden arch, surrounded by attendants in orange, yellow, and blue robes on a floral carpet. At right, a tiled facade with geometric patterns shows two pairs of standing figures observing from upper and lower windows.
Illuminated manuscript page with a gilt and blue headpiece featuring interlacing arabesque and floral motifs, enclosing a central cartouche with Persian calligraphy in gold and white. Below, four columns of Persian nasta'liq script in black ink on cream-colored paper.
Persian manuscript illustration with opaque watercolor and gold; a seated figure in a gold-bordered pavilion receives a group of turbaned courtiers outdoors, while attendants stand nearby; architectural interior with figures visible at left; columns of Persian nastaliq script surround the painted scene on all four sides.
Persian manuscript page with opaque watercolor illustration surrounded by columns of Persian script. A robed figure seated on a throne receives attendants in an arched pavilion with floral patterned walls and a domed turret above. Additional figures appear in recessed niches at left. Rich reds, golds, and greens throughout.
Persian manuscript illustration with opaque watercolor and gold; a palatial interior scene with multiple figures in courtly dress on a raised platform, musicians seated below, and observers on an exterior balcony at right; architectural details include a tiled dome, patterned green walls, and a floral niche; columns of Persian script in nastaliq above, below, and beside the composition.
Persian manuscript page with opaque watercolor illustration bordered by columns of Nastaliq script above and below. Hunting scene on a flower-strewn green hillside: several mounted riders in turbans and colorful robes pursue hares and deer, with dogs running alongside. A pink rocky outcrop and blue sky form the background.
Illuminated manuscript page with a decorated header featuring a central blue cartouche with Persian inscription, surrounded by gold arabesque floral patterns and a geometric border of blue diamonds. Below, four columns of Persian nasta'liq script in black ink on cream paper, ruled with thin red and blue lines.
Persian manuscript page with opaque watercolor illustration; a gathering of turbaned figures seated on a tiled floor before an enthroned figure, flanked by patterned walls and a floral panel; a two-story arcade at left shows additional standing figures; columns of Nastaliq script above and below the miniature.
Title
Manuscript of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami
Place Made
Iran, Shiraz
Date Made
circa 1550
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
7 7/8 x 4 3/8 in. (20.0 x 11.0 cm)
Credit Line
The Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection, gift of Joan Palevsky
Accession Number
M.73.5.603
Classification
Manuscripts
Collecting Area
Art of the Middle East: Islamic
Curatorial Notes

The southwestern Iranian city of Shiraz was a major center of illustrated manuscript production in the sixteenth century. Shiraz manuscripts were often executed at a level of quality that rivaled that of the royal courts in Tabriz and later Qazvin, and they were avidly collected by elites from both Safavid Iran and Ottoman Turkey. This fine mid-sixteenth-century manuscript of Nizami’s Khamsa (Quintet) includes fourteen nearly full-page illustrations, whose heavily patterned architectural interiors and lively multifigural ensembles are characteristic of Shiraz painters at their best.

Selected Bibliography

  • Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles. Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015.