"Jewish Captives Making an Appeal to the Prophet," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion)

19th century

Not on view

This illustrated folio is from a Shi'i epic recounting the life of 'Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law and, according to Shi'is, the legitimate successor to the Prophet. It depicts the Prophet Muhammad riding a camel accompanied by 'Ali after taking over a fortress inhabited by Jews. While the Prophet spares their lives, he orders them to leave with only a few of their belongings; we see the Jews throwing themselves at the foot of the Prophet’s camel and beg him to reconsider. As in other folios in the manuscript, the Prophet is depicted with a white face-veil while 'Ali's face is shown in full view. The style and palette of this folio are consistent with Qajar paintings of the 1820s and 30's. Shi'i epics were a popular genre in the Qajar period although only a few illustrated manuscripts survive, making this a rare example.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: "Jewish Captives Making an Appeal to the Prophet," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion)
Date: 19th century
Geography: Made in Iran
Medium: Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper
Dimensions: H. 13 3/16 in. (33.5 cm)
W. 7 11/16 in. (20 cm)
Classification: Codices
Credit Line: Purchase, 2017 and 2018 NoRuz at The Met Benefits, 2019
Object Number: 2019.320
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

"Salman-i Farsi's Conversion," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion), Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper — "Salman-i Farsi's Conversion," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion)
19th century

"Umar Converts to Islam," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion), Opaque water, gold, and ink on paper — "Umar Converts to Islam," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion)
19th century

"The Angel Gabriel Reveals Sura Annama 55 to the Prophet," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion), Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper — "The Angel Gabriel Reveals Sura Annama 55 to the Prophet," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion)
19th century

"Conquering the Qamus Fort," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion), Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper — "Conquering the Qamus Fort," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion)
19th century

"Mi'raj, The Night Journey of the Prophet," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion), Ink, gold, silver, and opaque watercolor on paper — "Mi'raj, The Night Journey of the Prophet," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari (Attack of the Lion)
19th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.