Rustam Kills The White Div Rug

Rustam kills the white div folio from a shahnama book of kings author.

Rustam kills the white div rug. In this magnificent refined work of a painter of the safavid court in iran the warrior hero rustam completes his last of seven herculean labors that established his prowess as a matchless hero. Rustam kills the white div devil the great sages mourn the death of iskandar. Rustam standing with dagger armoured slays the white div white demon depicted with tail and bestial features. Provenance henry walters baltimore date and mode of acquisition unknown.

While the mughal prvenance is obvious i have to note the cave the blue bacground rocks and the gold sky with the two tone cloud swirls. Illustrated leaf from a manuscript of firdausi s shahnama mughal late 16th century note. Spencer collection the new york public library. Description on this folio from walters manuscript w 602 rustam kills the white div the seventh feat.

He kills the white div folio 124 from a shah nama book of kings of firdausi persian about 934 1020 cleveland. دیو سپید lit. Scene from the shahnameh. Abu l qasim firdausi iranian 935 1020 date.

رستم is a legendary hero in persian mythology the son of zāl and rudaba whose life and work was immortalized by the 10th century persian poet ferdowsi in the shahnameh or epic of kings which contains pre islamic iranian folklore and history. Rustam slaying the white div outside a cave. However the roots of the narrative date much earlier to the seventh century. He possesses great physical strength and is skilled in sorcery and necromancy he destroys the army of kay kavus by conjuring a dark storm of hail boulders and tree trunks using his magical skills.

Sam goes to fight mihrab. In the persian epic of shahnameh div e sepid persian. Walters art museum 1931 by bequest. Iskandar kills the abyssinian monster.

The artist was obviously drawing on a shiraz inspiration. White demon is the chieftain of the divs demons of mazandaran he is a huge being. In the shahnameh rostam and his. Ink opaque watercolor silver and gold on paper.

He rustam s seventh course. Completing this last of seven trials rustam uses the white div s blood to cure the iranian king kay kavus of his blindness. Nearby is rustam s horse. The mobads question hurmuzd and receive answers.