English: SHAH ISMA'IL IN BATTLE AGAINST SULTAN FAYYYAZ

MU'IN MUSAVVIR, ISFAHAN, CIRCA 1670

Gouache on paper, a battle scene on pink landscape with Shah Isma'il centrally depicted in a purple robe slaying Sultan Fayyiz, each with identification inscriptions on their robes, three characters look on from the gold horizon in the upper right hand corner, set between five lines of black Persian nasta'liq with red and gold margins and blue rule, buff paper margin with red inscription on the right, verso with 15 ll. of black nasta'liq, unframed Miniature 5¾ x 5 1/8in. (14.5 x 13cm.); Folio 12½ x 8½in. (31.8 x 21.6cm.)

These miniatures come from a copy of Tarikh-i Jahangusha-yi Khaqan Sahibqiran, a history of Shah Isma'il. The facial features of Shah Isma'il and the other characters in these two miniatures, the meticulous attention to detail, strong colours, and the careful painting are all characteristic of Mu'in's style.

Two miniatures possibly from the same original volume are published. (Norah M. Titley, Persian Miniature Painting, London, 1983, pl. 19, p. 119; the other in Abolala Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York, 1992, Fig. 49, p. 290. They all share a similar arrangement of prose and illustration.

For further discussion of the Tarikh-i Jahangusha-yi Khaqan Sahibqiran, see the notes for lot 246 and 247. See also the note for the following lot.