A illustrated folio from a small Shahnameh, India, Deccan, Bijapur, circa 1610, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, with four vertical columns of black Persian nasta'liq script on a gold ground, painting 8cm. x 7cm., folio 20.4 x 12.4cm. Provenance: Acquired at Spink and SonOther folios from this manuscript are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ( 1985.404.1/ 1985.405.1/ 1983.354.1/ 1982.476.3)Although all the known pages from this manuscript were at some point remargined with a brittle, brown paper that has a glossy, oily look, their original main support is a very thin, high-quality, cream-colored paper, sprinkled with gold. Four columns of nasta’liq script have been inscribed on this lush surface, separated from one another by gold rules. Pages with paintings bear even more gold, since the text is surrounded by gilt cloud bands. There is no evidence, as yet, that the manuscript was produced for Bijapur’s royal family, but the abundance of expensive materials suggests its sponsor was a high-ranking member of courtly society.Please refer to department for condition report