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Rustam Takes Aim at Ashkabus, from a Shah-nama (Book of Kings)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The central warrior is Iran’s mythic hero Rustam, who approached an enemy army on foot, aiming to shoot the general off his mount. This page is from the oldest surviving illustrated Islamic manuscript made in India. The painting is by a local artist working for a Sultanate patron in India who admired Persian literature and emulated the erudite court culture of Iran.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineRustam Takes Aim at Ashkabus, from a Shah-nama (Book of Kings), c. 1425–50. Sultanate India, Deccan or Malwa. Gum tempera and ink on paper; folio: 31.8 x 25.6 cm (12 1/2 x 10 1/16 in.); painting: 13.7 x 20.5 cm (5 3/8 x 8 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2020.204
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