
The Windsor Shahnama of 1648
Manijeh Bayani(Co-Author)
Paul Holberton Publishing Ltd
Published on 13. March 2008
Book
Hardback
255 pages
978-1-903470-53-4 (ISBN)
Description
The Shahnama (Book of Kings), which chronicles the history of Iran from the Creation to the Islamic conquest, was written by the poet Firdawsi at the turn of the eleventh century. Its central importance to Iranian culture is reflected in the thousands of copies made since then, many superbly illustrated and produced for royal and other powerful patrons. One of these copies, presented to Queen Victoria in 1839, is one of the finest treasures among the collection of Islamic manuscripts now in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. Its 148 colorful images show heroes, mythical beasts, and bloody combats and are complemented by particularly sumptuous marginal illumination in gold.
B. W. Robinson relates the history of the Shahnama's composition, and describes the Windsor manuscript and the circumstances under which it came to Britain. He also provides a lively summary of the narrative to accompany black-and-white illustrations of every painting. Over 50 of these are also shown in full-color plates. Eleanor Sims discusses in detail the likely attribution of the paintings in the Windsor volume, and compares other seventeenth-century Shahnama manuscripts; she also examines the wider cultural milieu reflected in the paintings.
B. W. Robinson relates the history of the Shahnama's composition, and describes the Windsor manuscript and the circumstances under which it came to Britain. He also provides a lively summary of the narrative to accompany black-and-white illustrations of every painting. Over 50 of these are also shown in full-color plates. Eleanor Sims discusses in detail the likely attribution of the paintings in the Windsor volume, and compares other seventeenth-century Shahnama manuscripts; she also examines the wider cultural milieu reflected in the paintings.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Paper over boards
Illustrations
221 illus., 51 in color
Dimensions
Height: 342 mm
Width: 225 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
1991 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-903470-53-4 (9781903470534)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
B. W. Robinson (1912-2005) was an authority on many aspects of Islamic and Japanese art. Eleanor Sims, formerly of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the editor of Islamic Art, has written widely on Iranian art. Manijeh Bayani is a specialist in Arabic and Persian epigraphy.
Content
Foreword
Publisher's Note
Chapter One: The Windsor Shahnama of 1648, B.W. Robinson with contributions by Manijeh Bayani
The Narrative and its Illustrations, B.W. Robinson
The Plates
Chapter Three: The Windsor Castle Shahnama: Patronage and Productions, Eleanor Sims
Appendix I: Dynasties and Kings in the Shahnama
Appendix II: The Barzunama Interpolation in the Qarajaghay Khan's Shahnama
Appendix III: 17th-Century Illustrated Manuscripts of the Shahnama
Appendix IV: Technical Observations on Qarajaghay Khan's Shahnama
Bibliography
Concordances
The Authors
Photographic Acknowledgments
Publisher's Note
Chapter One: The Windsor Shahnama of 1648, B.W. Robinson with contributions by Manijeh Bayani
The Narrative and its Illustrations, B.W. Robinson
The Plates
Chapter Three: The Windsor Castle Shahnama: Patronage and Productions, Eleanor Sims
Appendix I: Dynasties and Kings in the Shahnama
Appendix II: The Barzunama Interpolation in the Qarajaghay Khan's Shahnama
Appendix III: 17th-Century Illustrated Manuscripts of the Shahnama
Appendix IV: Technical Observations on Qarajaghay Khan's Shahnama
Bibliography
Concordances
The Authors
Photographic Acknowledgments