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The monkey king returns safely to his fig tree, by `Āṣī, from Lights of Canopus (Anvār-i Suhaylī) by Ḥusayn Vā`iẓ Kāshifī

Title	The monkey king returns safely to his fig tree, by `Āṣī, from Lights of Canopus (Anvār-i Suhaylī) by Ḥusayn Vā`iẓ Kāshifī
Publication Date:	c. 1595-1600
Type	Document
Language	Persian
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	Yes
Physical Dimensions	199 mm x 127 mm (height x width)
Library:	Chester Beatty
Record ID	In 04.41
Library Location	Indian collection
Date	c. 1595-1600
Notes	The monkey king returns safely to his fig tree, by `Āṣī, from Lights of Canopus (Anvār-i Suhaylī) by Ḥusayn Vā`iẓ Kāshifī. Writing in a sophisticated court style, Kāshifī composed an updated version of these lively animal fables, which have a long transmission history going back to Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit texts. In this story, Kardana the wise monkey king has made a new life in exile, living on a river island, where he becomes close friends with a river tortoise. Their friendship ends after the tortoise tries to trick the monkey, but is outwitted in return. The tortoise invites Kardana to climb on his back, to swim across the river: once they have left shore, he glumly admits his plan to kill his friend. He has been fooled into believing that a monkey’s heart is the only cure for his wife’s pretended illness. The monkey immediately claims that he has left his heart behind for the day, hanging in the tree. The gullible tortoise swims back, and Kardana races up the fig tree to safety. Folio, ink, gold and colours on paper, Persian text in nasta`liq script, with painting (on recto), from Lights of Canopus (Anvār-i Suhaylī) by Kamāl al-Dīn Ḥusayn Vā`iẓ Kāshifī (d. 1504-5), produced for the court of Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605), painting inscribed (lower margin) as the work of (`amal) `Āṣī, Agra, India, undated, c. 1595-1600.
Materyal	Paper (material), Pigment (material), Ink (material), Gold
Nesne Adı	Folio / Bi-Folio (Codex)
Yazı Tipi	Nasta`liq script

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The monkey king returns safely to his fig tree, by `Āṣī, from Lights of Canopus (Anvār-i Suhaylī) by Ḥusayn Vā`iẓ Kāshifī

Publication Date c. 1595-1600

Type Document

Language Persian

Digital Yes

Manuscript Yes

Physical Dimensions 199 mm x 127 mm (height x width)

Library Chester Beatty

Record ID In 04.41

Library Location Indian collection

Date c. 1595-1600

Notes The monkey king returns safely to his fig tree, by `Āṣī, from Lights of Canopus (Anvār-i Suhaylī) by Ḥusayn Vā`iẓ Kāshifī. Writing in a sophisticated court style, Kāshifī composed an updated version of these lively animal fables, which have a long transmission history going back to Persian, Arabic and Sanskrit texts. In this story, Kardana the wise monkey king has made a new life in exile, living on a river island, where he becomes close friends with a river tortoise. Their friendship ends after the tortoise tries to trick the monkey, but is outwitted in return. The tortoise invites Kardana to climb on his back, to swim across the river: once they have left shore, he glumly admits his plan to kill his friend. He has been fooled into believing that a monkey’s heart is the only cure for his wife’s pretended illness. The monkey immediately claims that he has left his heart behind for the day, hanging in the tree. The gullible tortoise swims back, and Kardana races up the fig tree to safety. Folio, ink, gold and colours on paper, Persian text in nasta`liq script, with painting (on recto), from Lights of Canopus (Anvār-i Suhaylī) by Kamāl al-Dīn Ḥusayn Vā`iẓ Kāshifī (d. 1504-5), produced for the court of Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605), painting inscribed (lower margin) as the work of (`amal) `Āṣī, Agra, India, undated, c. 1595-1600.

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

Nesne Adı Folio / Bi-Folio (Codex)

Yazı Tipi Nasta`liq script