Publication Date
1595-1600
Type
Document
Language
Persian
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
Yes
Physical Dimensions
196 mm x 128 mm (height x width)
Library
Chester Beatty
Record ID
In 04.20
Library Location
Indian collection
Date
1595-1600
Notes
The four friends and the hunter, folio from Lights of Canopus (Anvar-i Suhayli), a reworking of the animal fables Kalila and Dimna (Kalila wa Dimna), composed by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi. When the deer is trapped in a hunter's net, the mouse gnaws the ropes to free him, watched anxiously by the crow and the tortoise (recto). When the hunter arrives, the tortoise is too slow to escape, and is himself captured in the net (verso). The story continues on the next page. This folio is from a copy of a highly-regarded Persian text, written by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi (d.1504-05), a preacher and scholar at the Timurid court in Herat (modern Afghanistan). His patron was Amir Shaykh Suhayli, whose last name is punningly inserted into the new title. Writing in a sophisticated court style, Kashifi composed an updated version of these lively animal fables, which have a long transmission history going back to Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit texts. This manuscript was made in Mughal India, and features 96 paintings (mounted separately). Detached folio, ink, gold and colours on paper, from partial copy of Lights of Canopus (Anvar-i Suhayli) by Husayn Va`izi Kashifi (d.1504-5), Persian text with painting (on recto), Agra, India, c. 1595-1600
Materyal
Paper (material), Pigment (material), Ink (material), Gold
Nesne Adı
Folio / Bi-Folio (Codex)
Yazı Tipi
Nasta'liq script
