Painting dissecting a text box, featuring a purple hill and a black circular cavity at its centre. Inside a figure hauling at a rope sitting beside a jug and bowl. Waiting on the hill is a young woman on the left, and three soldiers on the right.
AKM79, Rustam Rescues Bizhan from the Pit

© The Aga Khan Museum

Four column ruled rectangular text block on a plain brown paper page. Half way down the page in the second and third column is one line of red text that spans across the two columns.
AKM79, Rustam Rescues Bizhan from the Pit, Back

© The Aga Khan Museum

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Rustam Rescues Bizhan from the Pit
Folio from a manuscript of Shahnameh (Book of Kings) by Firdausi (d. 1020)
  • Accession Number:AKM79
  • Creator:paintings attributed to Mu‘in Musavvir (d. 1697)
  • Place:Iran, Isfahan
  • Dimensions:36.2 x 22.6 cm
  • Date:1666–67
  • Materials and Technique:opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper
  • Afrasiab, the Turanian king, is enraged when he discovers that his daughter Manizheh has fallen in love with Bizhan, an Iranian warrior. The enmity between the two nations makes this a forbidden love. Afrasiab puts Bizhan in chains and throws him into a dark pit. The all-powerful Iranian hero, Rustam, is notified and comes to rescue Bizhan. This scene depicts Rustam pulling at the rope to bring up the courageous warrior.

     

    — Filiz Çakır Phillip

Note: This online resource is reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. We are committed to improving this information and will revise and update knowledge about this object as it becomes available.

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