Calligraphy Painting

One of a handful of calligraphic compositions by Jalayir, a visionary artist active in the second half of the nineteenth century, this painting consists of a poem in large nastaʿliq script surrounded by an array of tiny vignettes celebrating the court life of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, the fourth ruler of the Qajar dynasty (reigned 1848–96). The poem praises the monarch by likening him to a flame in the night chamber of kingship and the seedling of the "garden of sovereignty," whose moonlike forehead emanates imperial light and provides protection. The tiny vignettes—including a portrait of the king hunting astride a horse with attendants; ladies playing musical instruments; combat between a lion and snake; and an extraordinary assemblage of animals such as songbirds, waterfowl, peacocks, goats, rabbits, dogs, cats, leopards, deer, cattle, and an elephant—are all set against an Edenic landscape of flowering fruit trees and imaginary architectural vistas. Masterfully painted, the composition is an ultimate statement of kingship and was probably intended as a presentation piece to the ruler.