Paradise in miniature, The Court of Kayumars

Sultan Muhammad (attributed), The Court of Kayumars (Safavid: Tabiz, Iran), c. 1524-1525, from the Shah Tahmasp Shahnameh, c. 1524-35, opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper, 45 x 30 cm (Aga Khan Museum, Toronto)
speaker: Dr. Michael Chagnon, Curator, Aga Khan Museum and Dr. Steven Zucker

[@amandacollyer645]

beautiful - the way some colors are so precise, and some almost like watercolors, blending into others.

[@alishariat1435]

Truly first rate analysis of Persian painting and this masterpiece of Sultan Muhammad. Thank you for making so many great points in such a short lecture.

[@adelaidewatts1813]

Ooh, something in my city. I hope I remember when it reopens to watch this again and then see it in person.

[@ZAINI25]

Lucky 😭

[@nazaninkermanshahi1720]

I appreciate this video so much👏love from Iran ❤️

[@nni9310]

The description of this scene reminds me of lines from the Purgatorio, where Dante enters the garden of Eden and sees Matilda for the first time and addresses her. Here is a translation of those lines by one of the Romantic poets: "Bright lady whom if looks could tell dost bask under the beams of love, pray, let me hear thy song. Thou seemest to my fancy like Proserpina in Enna's glen, where she lost the spring and her mother her, more dear". It contains that sense of being on the cusp of losing Paradise, when it is most precious.

[@Sasha0927]

I remember that name: Shahnameh... I'm amazed to hear about how it was produced - all those precious and expensive materials... It was worth it, too. Absolutely gorgeous. That gold background reminded me of the overwhelmingly stunning scenes I've seen in cathedrals. The calligraphy is an added bonus. I can see why it's so important. Shame this was about the calm before the storm. You'd think the king was grooming his son to take his place rather than preparing for his passing.. "The first joust of the rooks" is an intriguing title for a literary work. If I write a book, the name will have to be a minimum of that cool. 🙃

[@smarthistory-art-history]

This painting blew me away. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I'm glad you liked it. And it was a real challenge to photograph. It is rarely on view since it is light sensitive, it was worth the trip up to Toronto to make the videos. We also have an essay on the destruction of the manuscript if there is interest: smarthistory.org/making-mutilating-shahnama/ and an essay on the painting: smarthistory.org/the-court-of-gayumars/

[@Sasha0927]

Look at you giving me homework. 😂😭❤ I read both, though! Very interesting stuff - especially the making and mutilating essay. I enjoyed the Houghton - Tehran Museum exchange in particular. It's incredible how something so valuable and skillfully made was just hacked apart for greed. I can only imagine the pressure on the various artisans as they produced it and how they'd respond to knowing it was treated that way... I also dig the way you have inline vocab words that can be hovered over for definitions. I learned that "parvenu" is bougie with no benefits! lol. Your efforts to photograph this were worthwhile. I'm sure it doesn't compare to seeing it in person, but even in this format, it's easy to appreciate how stunning this piece is.@@smarthistory-art-history

[@TheNiger777]

Best episode yet!!! I've done loads of art based on these!!

[@magicknight13]

I wholeheartedly agree!

[@tonydecastro6340]

Is there a demand for this to be returned to Iran? in any case, congratulations for an ever wider range of art history being given attention...

[@elamiri858]

A few years ago (I think in 2011) Willem De Kooning's "Woman III" which was sitting in the vault of Tehran's Museum of Contemporary art (as it was forbidden to be shown because of Iran's policies) was exchanged with 118 pages of this shahnameh (shah tahmasp) bit silly that we had to give up a de Kooning to get something that was rightfully ours (but then again we'd never get to see the de Kooning, at least now it's being viewed and appreciated)

[@klipokoresunbae6059]

Thank you ❤️ greetings from turkey

[@zohrehzand1300]

Smarthistory I love your clips. They are all very informative. Now I have a question: Is it only me or does anybody else see this too: for example pause at minute 6:44 and look at the painting as a whole. To me it appears as if there is a kind of a figure like a 'dancer' who is facing us. He has a blue body, green pants, his feet/shoes are reddish/orange. His arms are stretched out pointing to the above. In his face Kayumars is sitting, his crossed legs seem to be the mouth of this figure. And on his shoulders he is carrying the other two main figures......

[@rahilahmadi]

What an observation! That reminds me of "Div" which means devil and usually exits in most of shahnameh's stories like this one. You can find them if you search for them in Persian miniatures. It might be drawn deliberately or not. But your eyes are like eagles!

[@zohrehzand1300]

@@rahilahmadi I saw it as a "div" too, but somehow I wanted to refer to it as a dancer (thought this way more people might see what I see and I do not need to describe what a div is). The narrator actually mentions the devil (div) at around minute 2:55. I'm glad that you could see it too. The more I look at it the more I believe this was done intentionally. Persian miniatures are full of surprises.

[@prativamajhi5785]

Amazing video ❤❤❤ Love from INDIA 🎉

[@coconutgirl730]

Thank you!

[@RoxanaSattari-sy1gr]

😍😍😍father land iran!

[@nolankuo937]

This painting is so good it's ridiculous.

[@James-gz6iq]

This art foreshadows chaos, and despair in a way that perpetuates the world into violence.

[@ThePayola123]

You could be right, although I don't see Donald J. Trump in there. The 'J' stands for genius by the way, a highly stable genius.

[@nshwhdushdb397]

Much awaited..thank you!! Also look at masterpieces of Indian Miniature..

[@smarthistory-art-history]

We do, have a look at Smarthistory: smarthistory.org/mewar-ramayana/

[@nshwhdushdb397]

@@smarthistory-art-history Oh how wonderful!! Thank you !!

[@gancarzpl]

@ 2:52 After all, Mark Chagall didn't create a new original style of painting, he was sort of a plagiarist. That moment that you realize that you were wrong, Chagall is not very popular in Iran.

[@alioshax7797]

I mean, all artists draw inspiration from somewhere else. If you call that a "plagierist", then there are no artists at all. Sultan Muhammad included.

[@gancarzpl]

@@alioshax7797 My point is that Mark Chagall didn't create a new, original style of painting. I was very surprised to see so many silk "Mark Chagall" inspired pictorial carpets in Iran. It comes out that the designs of those carpets never have and couldn't have anything to do with him, since that stile was created in Iran 400 years before he was born. It's nothing ells as one of the aha moments.

[@alioshax7797]

@@gancarzpl I mean, one must have quite some significant level of bad faith to say that all of Chagall's paintings and style were just drawn from Iranian miniature. A quick google image research is enough to say that it's just not true. I know little of his carpets, though.

[@gancarzpl]

@@alioshax7797 Not at all bad faith, I just don't like his art.

[@alioshax7797]

@@gancarzpl Oh but that's your right, naturally. However, one can dislike a style or an oeuvre, without accusing the artist of being a plagiarist.

[@quantumfizzics9265]

This particular manuscript looks like it had Mongol influence

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Yes, and we discuss this point in the video.

[@quantumfizzics9265]

​@@smarthistory-art-history thanks for the video!

[@Kobulione]

Shahnameh not only belongs to Iran . The main character (Rostam) of shahnameh mother( Rudabeh )from Kabul and Father (Zal ) from Zabol both of these cities are in Afghanistan. So why is Shahnameh only mentioned from Iran? Ferdowsi the poet and writer he wasn't from neither of modern Afghanistan and modern of Iran. He was from Greter Khuroson.

[@erfan3857]

The great Khorasan is under power of Afgan Taliban today They are enemy of this civilization and culture Also Ferdowsi was born in the city of Toos in modern day Iran actually next to my city Neyshabur another important city of Khorasan, since you call yourself Afgans and you don't call yourself Khorasani You are not related to Khorasan and Iran Khorasan is an Iranian land it not a separate country or civilization just like Manchester and England. ندانی که ایران نشست من است جهان سر به سر زیر دست من است نخوانند بر ما کسی آفرین چو ویران بود بوم ایران زمین Now you know why Ferdowsi is Iranian

[@thenoobprincev2529]

Ferdowsi was literally from Iran. He has named Iran over a hundred times in his book. How many times has he named Afghanistan? Exactly Zero times. It did not existed lol. And Rustam's Maternal descent was Arabic, from the lineage of Zahhak. Also, by your logic, If England rules over a city in Africa or India in modern day, Should a random poet or King from that city 1000 years ago also be counted as British? Yeah, think not. Do not be try stealing, buddy.