"Battle between Alexander and Darius", Folio 279 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja

Author Nizami
Calligrapher Sultan Muhammad Nur Iranian

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 455

This razm (battle) scene is set against a hilly background, with groups of figures engaged in combat. Three figures in the foreground attack their mounted enemies. A severed arm, a slain soldier, and a strewn helmet suggest the violence of battle, though the image itself betrays little ferocity. The details of weaponry, arms, and horse trappings provide a glimpse into the material culture of an early sixteenth-century battle.

"Battle between Alexander and Darius", Folio 279 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja, Nizami (present-day Azerbaijan, Ganja 1141–1209 Ganja), Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

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