Fig. 215 (cat. no. 40). Bahman Meeting Zal, page from the Great Mongol Shahnama (Book of Kings), Iran (probably Tabriz), 1330s.
Ink, colors, and gold on paper.
Collection des Musées d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva (1971-107/2a)


40     Fig. 215
Bahman Meeting Zal
Image: 21 x 20 cm (8¼ x 7⅞ in.)
Collection des Musées d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva (1971-107/2a)

The narrative continues with the lives of other kings, and several sections are devoted to Isfandiyar, one of the prince-heroes of the epic and son of Shah Gushtasp of Iran. Isfandiyar had been promised the throne but his father refused to abdicate. Gushtasp eventually agreed to do so, on condition that Isfandiyar bring before him in chains the great hero Rustam, who had affronted the king by not recognizing his authority. Isfandiyar thereupon sent his son Bahman as an emissary to persuade Rustam to pay homage to Gushtasp.
    The painting shows Bahman, seen from the back, greeted by Zal, Rustam’s father, who has sighted the approaching party from a Watch-tower and come to receive them.¹ Bahman is richly dressed and wears a crown, following his father’s directives to make his royal status immediately known. Figures with their backs to the viewer reflect a Chinese influence on Persian painting (see also cat. nos. 53, 54, 56).

1. Grabar and Blair 1980, pp. 92-93, no. 18; Treasures of Islam 1985, p. 54, no. 21.
Source: pp. 182 & 254, The Legacy of Genghis Khan Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia 1256-1353

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Geneva, Musée d'art et d'histoire
Title of Work: Shahnama (Great Mongol)
Manuscript: 1971-107/1,2,3
Accession Number: 1971-107/2v
Chapter 15 - Gushtasp (120 years)
Scene: Zal greets Bahman
Dimensions (h x w): 210 x 210 mm
Format: Rectangular within borders
Reconstructed Folio: 144v
Gregorian Date: 1350 (circa)
School: Tabriz
Source: Shahnama Project