Shah Tahmasp Shahnameh
The Court of Kayumars
Folio detached from the Shah Tahmasp Shahnameh
Attributed to Sultan Muhammad
Iran, Tabriz, ca. 1524–1525
Opaque watercolour, ink, silver, and gold on paper
AKM165
The Court of Kayumars is amongst the most admired paintings in the entire Persian repertoire. It depicts a peaceful assembly of diverse peoples surrounding Kayumars, Iran’s mythical first king. The group gathers in an idyllic meadow, watered by a silver spring and studded by jewel-like rocks that are suffused with light and colour. This paradise, however, is shot through with pathos: Kayumars, at the peak of the composition, has just learned from the angel Surush that his son Siyamak is destined to die in battle against the son of the devil Ahriman. Kayumars gestures toward his unwitting son in a delicate expression of grief. This tragic story serves as a reminder that peace and adversity come in cycles, both being temporary states.