Early Shahnameh leaf. Early example of one of the most celebrated texts in persian culture; of great literary importance to the preservation of the farsi language.

Abdul Qasim Ferdowsi (d. circa 1026) was a Persian poet from the Tus area of the Samanid Persian empire. The Shahnameh is a vast epic poem about historical and mythical stories of Persian kings, a narrative many believe to have been created to preserve the pre-Islamic myths and legacies of Persia's golden era for future generations. The language used by Ferdowsi is notably lacking in Arabic influence, after a socio-linguistic shift in Persia following the Arab conquest of the 7th century, and is widely accepted as being one of the founding literary texts of the Persian language today.

This leaf is similar in style to the Ilkhanid 'small Shahnamehs' produced in the 12th century (of which there are four surviving examples), that have the text in 6 columns and include these small illustrations within the text that are predominantly in a horizontal format. The present example is likely from the Injuid period in Persia (1325-53 AD), probably Shiraz, where the leaf is slightly larger in format with a script closer in style to that of 14th century Persia.

Single leaf, decorated manuscript on thick fibrous paper, in Farsi, leaf 352 x 264 mm (written space 335 by 245 mm); six columns, 34 lines soft black naskh script, columns ruled in red, miniature to the centre of the recto depicting Giv and his courtiers (painted in a later hand, heavily retouched), leaf rubbed with finger-soiling, outer extremities of leaves trimmed, chipped and a little stained, repairs to outer margins.