Manuchihr enthroned

Manuchihr Enthroned is folio 60v of the Shahnameh made for Shah Tahmasp in Tabriz, often called the Houghton Shahnameh. The painting shows the legendary Iranian king Manuchihr seated in state. He wears an orange robe with green sleeves and sits on a raised throne with red cushions. He is flanked by attendants in yellow and white, all wearing the tall white Safavid headgear with a baton. Behind him rises a pointed arch filled with pink and blue floral scrollwork. The wall around it is covered in a star-patterned tile design. At the bottom of the court, musicians and guests sit on carpets over a blue patterned floor. Some of play instruments, others share vessels, and groups of courtiers stand talking. On the left side, an opened doorway leads to a garden with a blossoming tree and tall cypresses, where a figure in a yellow coat stands at gate. The scene is packed with figures, yet each group is clearly set the apart. Above the picture, four columns of Persian verse and a blue and gold title panel announce the king’s reign. The page sits inside a wide margin sprinkled with gold flecks. Scholars read the name Mir Musavvir on a small figure’s hat in this crowded composition. The name Dust Muhammad also appears and may have been added later. The manuscript was later dispersed among museums and private collections.