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Bizhan in the Dungeon

c. 1425
Artist/maker unknown, Indian
The Shahnama recounts the lives of the real and legendary kings of Persia. The unusual Shahnama manuscript from which this page comes perfectly demonstrates the blending of cultures that enriched India's illustrated book traditions. In keeping with Islamic tradition, the page has a vertical format with four columns of Persian text, and all the pages were probably sewn together in a leather binding. The horizontal illustration, however, was undoubtedly painted by an artist trained in the indigenous style of western and central India (seen in Jain Kalpasutra pages and Hindu Bhagavata Purana pages). The artist used balloonlike trees, a wavy band of clouds, and a primary-color palette with a bright red background. Bizhan, who is set against the blue of the well in which he was confined, has the smooth, three-quarter profile characteristic of Islamic illustrations, but which was also used by Jain painters to depict specifically Muslim characters.

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Currently not on view