Publication Date
Early fourteenth century AH / late nineteenth century - early twentieth century
Publication Place
-
Rietberg Museum
Subject
Cotton, spun thread and embroidery (chain stitch)
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 221 سم ، العرض: 149 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
2005,59
Record ID
object;EPM;sw;Mus21;12;ar
Library Location
Rietberg Museum
Date
Early fourteenth century AH / late nineteenth century - early twentieth century
Notes
The overall design of this wall hanging is reminiscent of the pictorial paintings of court manuscripts with its richly depicted interiors of figures and its surroundings of birds and game birds jumping among the lush vegetation. The somewhat naive style of the figures suggests that this embroidery in the chain stitch technique was done at the beginning of the 20th century. The central field depicts scenes from the life of Rustam, the most famous hero of Ferdowsi's national epic, the Shahnameh, the Book of Kings. The scene in the lower third is the easiest to recognize. Where Rustam appears slaughtering the White Dio (Satan), the ruler of Mazandaran. Above this scene we may see Rostam's battle with Sohrab, which is one of the most tragic moments in the Shahnameh. During the duel, Rostam kills the young man who shows him a talisman as he dies and at that moment Rostam realizes that he has just killed his son. Meanwhile, the top scene shows an unspecified battle scene. Wall hangings are used for many functions in Persian homes, whether as decoration of niches or as curtains. In this case, it could conceivably be used in one of the many coffee and tea cafés to serve as a backdrop for professional storytellers to illustrate their stories.
Sample Text
Axel Langer “Rustam Slaying the White Duo” in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;sw;Mus21;12;ar
