Back to Search

Iskandar (Alexander) builds a wall against Gog and Magog, from the Book of Divination (Fālnāma) for Shah Ṭahmāsp, (d. 1576)

Title	Iskandar (Alexander) builds a wall against Gog and Magog, from the Book of Divination (Fālnāma) for Shah Ṭahmāsp, (d. 1576)
Author	Qazvin
Publication Date:	1550-1560
Type	Document
Language	Persian
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	Yes
Physical Dimensions	595 mm x 450 mm (height x width)
Library:	Chester Beatty
Record ID	Per 395.1
Library Location	Persian collection
Date	1550-1560
Notes	Iskandar (Alexander) builds a wall against Gog and Magog, folio from the Book of Divination (Fālnāma). Iskandar sits in conversation with the prophets Khidr and Ilyas (Elijah), while a team of demons (divs) and men toil together to build Iskandar's bronze wall against the monstrous inhabitants of Gog and Magog. This single folio is from a large-scale manuscript of the Book of Divination (Fālnāma), produced for the Safavid Shah Ṭahmāsp, and now dispersed in international collections. There are two folios in the Chester Beatty (CBL Per 395.1 and 395.2). The Fālnāma is not intended to be read from cover to cover, but consulted for divination (as bibliomancy): the seeker opens a page at random, and that chosen page-opening provides the intended augury, in answer to the seeker's question. The text (beginning: "O augury user...") is on the left and a large painting (often depicting sacred figures and prophets) is on the right. For this page-opening, with a scene depicting Alexander the Great, the future is positive. Folio, ink, colours and gold on paper, Persian text in nasta`liq script (recto), and full-page painting (verso), from the dispersed Book of Divination (Fālnāma) produced for Safavid shah Ṭahmāsp (d. 1576), text copied by Malik Daylami, Qazvin, Iran, c. 1550-1560. The recto text sets out the augury result for the previous page-opening (the previous folio in the sequence is CB Per 395.2, with a painting of the Prophet and Imam `Ali at Khaybar). The verso painting depicts Iskandar sitting with the prophets Khidr and Ilyas while demons and men work together to build a bronze wall against the inhabitants of Gog and Magog (the following folio, with the augury text to face this painting, is in Bruschettini collection, Genoa).
Materyal	Paper (material), Pigment (material), Ink (material), Gold
Nesne Adı	Folio / Bi-Folio (Codex)
Yazı Tipi	Nasta'liq script

View in source Chester Beatty Chester Beatty - Ottoman library catalog search

Chester Beatty

Iskandar (Alexander) builds a wall against Gog and Magog, from the Book of Divination (Fālnāma) for Shah Ṭahmāsp, (d. 1576)

Author Qazvin

Publication Date 1550-1560

Type Document

Language Persian

Digital Yes

Manuscript Yes

Physical Dimensions 595 mm x 450 mm (height x width)

Library Chester Beatty

Record ID Per 395.1

Library Location Persian collection

Date 1550-1560

Notes Iskandar (Alexander) builds a wall against Gog and Magog, folio from the Book of Divination (Fālnāma). Iskandar sits in conversation with the prophets Khidr and Ilyas (Elijah), while a team of demons (divs) and men toil together to build Iskandar's bronze wall against the monstrous inhabitants of Gog and Magog. This single folio is from a large-scale manuscript of the Book of Divination (Fālnāma), produced for the Safavid Shah Ṭahmāsp, and now dispersed in international collections. There are two folios in the Chester Beatty (CBL Per 395.1 and 395.2). The Fālnāma is not intended to be read from cover to cover, but consulted for divination (as bibliomancy): the seeker opens a page at random, and that chosen page-opening provides the intended augury, in answer to the seeker's question. The text (beginning: "O augury user...") is on the left and a large painting (often depicting sacred figures and prophets) is on the right. For this page-opening, with a scene depicting Alexander the Great, the future is positive. Folio, ink, colours and gold on paper, Persian text in nasta`liq script (recto), and full-page painting (verso), from the dispersed Book of Divination (Fālnāma) produced for Safavid shah Ṭahmāsp (d. 1576), text copied by Malik Daylami, Qazvin, Iran, c. 1550-1560. The recto text sets out the augury result for the previous page-opening (the previous folio in the sequence is CB Per 395.2, with a painting of the Prophet and Imam `Ali at Khaybar). The verso painting depicts Iskandar sitting with the prophets Khidr and Ilyas while demons and men work together to build a bronze wall against the inhabitants of Gog and Magog (the following folio, with the augury text to face this painting, is in Bruschettini collection, Genoa).

Materyal Paper (material), Pigment (material), Ink (material), Gold

Nesne Adı Folio / Bi-Folio (Codex)

Yazı Tipi Nasta'liq script