"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

Object Information
  • 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

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.