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ISFAHAN, SAFAVID IRAN, THIRD QUARTER 17TH CENTURY Opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, with the veiled Prophet Muhammad riding his steed Buraq in a halo of flame, surrounded by angels against a turbulent night sky, with four columns of nasta'liq above and below, within blue, gold, green, red and turquoise margins, reverse with Persian verse Painting 8 x 5in. (20.5 x 12.8cm.); folio 11? x 7?in. (29 x 18.5cm.)
Persian poets from the turn of the fourteenth century onward illustrated their epics with a colourful description of the mi‘raj, the heavenly journey that brought the Prophet into the presence of God. These compositions most often serve as pictorial eulogies to the Prophet, since they portray angels presenting platters containing jewels, incense burners, a crown, and flames. In this miniature, the Prophet is shown rising amidst golden flames with his face veiled, riding on his mysterious mount Buraq who is led by the angel Gabriel. With one hand raised as if in speech, he is flanked by angels with fantastic wings, adorned in Safavid robes typical of the period.
The scene is modelled on Safavid mi‘raj pictures such as the scene from the Khamsa of Nizami, attributed to Sultan Muhammad, dated 1539-43, housed in the British Library (see J. Thompson et al., 2003, p. 22, fig. 1.6 and p.115 fig. 4.29) and the mi’raj illustration in the Falnama of Ja‘far al-Sadiq, attributed to Aqa Mirak circa 1550 housed in the Freer Sackler Gallery, Washington, D.C., inv. no. S1896.253. A Safavid mi'raj scene dating to the second quarter of the 17th century was sold at Christie’s, New York, 10 May 2018, lot 1008.