Abu'l Qasim Firdausi

Abu'l Qasim Firdausi is an artist recorded as being active circa 1275, specializing in the demanding craft of manuscript illumination and painting. This dating places the artist within a crucial period of development for historical Persian manuscript painting.

Fifteen manuscripts or folios associated with Firdausi are represented in major museum collections. These works establish his importance in the documentation of the Shahnama (Book of Kings), the foundational national epic of Iran, through detailed and vividly colored illustrations. These illuminated pages, often executed with meticulous brushwork, translate complex mythological and historical narratives into visual art.

Notable examples of his work are held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These include dramatic folio illustrations such as Bahram Chubina Kills the Lion-Shaped Ape Monster and Bizhan Slaughters the Wild Boars of Irman. Firdausi also produced works documenting courtly life and skill, including Bahram Gur Entertained by the Daughters of Barzin and Buzurgmihr Masters the Game of Chess, which originates from the First Small Shahnama.

The presence of these works in leading institutions confirms their museum-quality standard and historical value. Although the original folios are rare, high-quality prints of select pieces are available as downloadable artwork, making these significant Abu'l Qasim Firdausi prints accessible in the public domain for research and appreciation.