A manuscript of Book of Kings (Shahnameh)

• Accession Number:AKM269
• Creator:Author: Firdausi, Persian, ca. 935 - 1020 Created for: Sultan Abu'l-Nasr Qasim Khan Scribe: Na`im al-Din Shirazi
• Place:Iran
• Dimensions:29 cm × 19 cm × 6 cm
• Date:1492-1493/AH 898
• Materials and Technique:Opaque watercolour, ink, silver and gold on paper
Binding: leather, paint, lacquer, pasteboard

The cover of this Book of Kings (Shahnameh) manuscript showcases an early example of a lacquered book binding, a Persian technique first developed in the 15th century that became highly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. These glossy bindings were created by building up a layer of gesso and lacquer on top of a lightweight pasteboard cover. After painting this surface with a design, several more layers of lacquer were applied, sometimes with ground mother-of-pearl for added iridescence. As a final step, the surface was smoothed and polished to a high shine.


The design on this cover, a dense pattern of grape-bearing vine scrolls, continued to be an influential motif over the following centuries. The Book of Kings (Shahnameh), a work of kingly ethics and a masterpiece of world literature, was held in high regard by the rulers who commissioned lavishly decorated copies.


- Filiz Çakır Phillip and Suzanne Conklin Akbari