Moʿin Moṣavver | Manuscripts | Ḵamsa of Neẓāmi

Manuscript K2, no. 4-65

Eskandar's Victory over the Russians

Ḵamsa, Poem 4, Eskandarnāma (Šarafnāma), Canto 65
Location: Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London, MSS.1220.6.
Page: 33.9 x 20.7 cm (after Sotheby's)
Text area: 25 x 14 cm (scaled)
Painting: 14.6 x 14 cm (scaled). Does not include spill overs into the margins, nor the interstices between the text columns.
Text: four column; 10 lines on a 25 line per full page matrix.
Signature: Not signed

Before embarking on his jourrney India and China, Eskandar spent some time in the Caucasus visiting Queen Nušāba of Barda and her court of Amazons. Later, while in China, Eskandar learned that in his absence the Rus, that is the Russian Vikings, had invaded the Caucasus and taken Queen Nušāba prisoner. Eskandar's subsequent wars with the Rus are described in considerable length, and end with Eskandar's victory, his pardon of Amir Vali and the magnanimous treatment of the defeated army.

Painting references:
Sotheby's (London) Sale, 3 May 2001, Lot 47, Iskandarnama no. 3
Sotheby's (London) Sale, 10 October 2006, Lot 34, Iskandarnama no. 3
Sotheby's (London) Sale, 22 April 2015, Lot 117 (ill.)

Text references:
Persian.Packham.org: (Eskandar-nama, p.749ff, Canto LXV)
François de Blois, "Eskandar-Nāma of Neżāmi", Encylopaedia Iranica, updated January 19, 2012. www.iranicaonline.org/articles/eskandar-nama-of-nezami

Photo courtesy of Sothebys, with publication permission of the © Nour Foundation and the Khalili Family Trust

Robert Eng
Last Updated: December 4, 2016 | Originally published: December 4, 2016