"Isfandiyar's Third Course: He Slays a Dragon", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings)

Art Historical Context

This vibrant folio from a *Shahnama* (Book of Kings), the epic Persian poem by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi completed around 1010 CE, captures the heroic moment when the warrior Isfandiyar his third labor: slaying a ferocious dragon. Created circa 1330–40 during the Ilkhanid period under Mongol rule in Persia, illustrates a pivotal episode from the national epic that celebrates Iran's mythical kings and champions, blending history, legend, and moral tales. Rendered in ink with opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper—a hallmark of Persian miniature painting—the artwork exemplifies the refined techniques of Islamic manuscript illumination. Delicate ink outlines define dynamic figures of men on horseback, bows drawn, and the writhing dragon, while gold accents lend a luminous, otherworldly glow, evoking the manuscript's original luxury as a codex for elite patrons. The small painting (4 3/16 x 1 5/8 in.) fits seamlessly into the book's pages, inviting intimate contemplation. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department, this folio highlights the *Shahnama*'s enduring cultural role in preserving Persian identity amid conquests, its vivid storytelling bridging poetry and visual art for generations of admirers.

About the Artist

Abu'l Qasim Firdausi · 935–1020

Abu'l Qasim Firdausi, born around 940 in the village of Paj near Tus in Khorasan (modern-day Iran), emerged from a family of landed gentry known as dehqans, who preserved ancient Iranian oral traditions amid the cultural renaissance of the Samanid Empire. Little is documented about his early life or formal training, though he likely received a basic education including Arabic literacy, immersing h...