Folio page with four columns of text, with an illustration showing a man riding a grey horse accompanied by six riders, four walking figures, and two dogs. They approach a man standing on the right, above a resting donkey. Above, rocks and trees separate the scene from a distant palace.
AKM284.6, The King who Forgave a Man who Cursed Him

© The Aga Khan Museum

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The King who Forgave a Man who Cursed Him
Folio from the manuscript of the Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa‘di (d. 1292)
  • Accession Number:AKM284.6
  • Place:India, Agra
  • Dimensions:41.8 x 26.2 cm
  • Date:ca. 1604
  • Materials and Technique:opaque watercolour, ink and gold on paper

  • This is the fourth painting to appear in the Bustan, and it is marked as page 89 in the manuscript. Here, a king astride a grey steed approaches a man who cursed him when his own mount became stuck in a mire. Though the king’s entourage urges him to kill the insolent man, the ruler does nothing of the sort. In an act of mercy and benevolence, he honours the man with gold, a horse, and a fur coat.

     

    See AKM284 for an introduction to the Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa'di, and other paintings from this manuscript.

     

    — Marika Sardar

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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