"Bahram Gur in the Red Palace on Tuesday", Folio 220 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja

Art Historical Context

Step into the opulent world of Safavid Persia with *Bahram Gur in the Red on Tuesday*, a stunning folio (no. 220) from the *Khamsa*—a quintet of epic poems by the 12th-century poet Nizami of Ganja. miniature painting captures a pivotal scene from *Haft Paykar* ( Beauties), where the Sasanian king Bah Gur visits his seven brides, each in a pavilion colored to match a day of the week. Here in the crimson-hued palace of Tuesday, the king engages intimately with his princess amid lush interiors teeming with men and women, symbolizing tales of love, wisdom, and royal splendor. Created in 1524–25 CE in Tabriz, this masterpiece reflects the pinnacle of Safavid manuscript illumination, attributed to master painters Sultan Muhammad and Shaikh Zada, with gold work by Mahmud Muzahib. The intricate ink outlines, vibrant opaque watercolors, and lavish gold accents on paper showcase Persian miniature techniques—tiny, jewel-like details that bring architecture, textiles, and figures to life in a single page (painting: 8⅝ × 5⅛ in.). Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department since 1913, this folio highlights the cultural fusion of poetry and painting in 16th-century Iran, where art elevated storytelling to divine heights, inviting viewers to ponder timeless themes of passion and power.