http://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/58983/full“A Feast”1520Painting: 8 5/16 x 4 7/16 in. (21.1 x 11.3 cm)
Leaf: 11 1/2 x 7 3/16 in.Gouache painting, gold, and ink on paper11.6.40In this carefully composed illustration, Manouchehr, one of the Shahnameh’s mythical kings, is seen at a feast after his enthronement. His role in the epic - as a powerful, just ruler - is conveyed through his slightly larger figure, and the generous use of expensive gold leaf and lapis lazuli. Three figures on the sides break the outline, extending the content beyond the pictorial frame. A notable quality of Persian paintings, this “breakage” also demonstrates the unique process of book-making in which the figures are painted only after a detailed grid is drawn and the text is written.
Note the careful composition of this painting. The outline would have been drawn first, with sections reserved for the calligrapher. The architectural elements would have been painted first, then the figures, and finally the faces - each by a different artist. The final touch was the work of the calligrapher.Paintings11.300000000021.10000000001649655931