Rustam Killing The White Div (1560-1580 CE)

This vividly illustrated leaf from a manuscript of Firdausi’s Shahnameh, created in Shiraz during the Safavid period around 1560–1580, captures one of the most iconic scenes in the Persian epic: Rustam slaying the White Div. Painted in gouache with gold on paper, this miniature, measuring 25.5 × 20.6 cm (10 × 8.1 inches), stages the confrontation inside a dark, almost infernal cave ringed by jagged rocks. Its brilliant colors, stylized figures, and elegant nasta‘liq script draw the viewer directly into the legendary struggle, opening a window onto the artistic richness and cultural imagination of Safavid Persia.

A Shahnameh from Safavid Shiraz

The work comes from a Shahnameh manuscript produced during the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736), a great period for Persian miniature painting. Firdausi’s Shahnameh, or Book of Kings, written around 940–1020 CE, is the national epic of Persia, preserving pre-Islamic Iranian myths and history. This particular illustration, made in Shiraz, one of the major centers of manuscript production, reflects the Safavid period’s strong investment in cultural identity and artistic refinement. The scene shows Rustam’s seventh labor in the Haft Khan-e Rostam (Seven Labors of Rustam), when he defeats the White Div to rescue King Kay Kaus.

A Scene Retold Across Centuries

The story of Rustam and the White Div has inspired retellings in many forms, from Persian performance traditions to modern Iranian animation and even contemporary symbolic imagery. Artists in Safavid Shiraz often worked in ateliers, producing illustrated manuscripts for wealthy patrons and courtly circles, sometimes under considerable pressure. It is easy to imagine one of these painters building up gold and gouache with great care to bring this mythic battle to life. The popularity of the scene is clear from its repeated appearance across centuries, with related versions surviving in Timurid and Mongol-influenced manuscripts as well.

Rustam and the Defeat of Chaos

The Shahnameh itself was Firdausi’s great effort to preserve Iranian memory and identity, and under the Safavids it also became a powerful symbol of both Persian heritage and dynastic culture. The scene of Rustam killing the White Div can be read through the lens of Zoroastrian dualism, with Rustam standing as the defender of order against a force of chaos and evil. Artistically, the painting is characteristic of the Shiraz school: vivid gold, red, blue, and black tones, stylized figures with elongated or emphatic proportions, and a dramatic composition shaped by earlier Timurid models. The dark cave, Rustam in his tiger-skin garment, and the pale demonic body of the White Div are all motifs that make the episode immediately recognizable within Shahnameh illustration.

Gold, Gouache, and Nasta‘liq Script

The leaf is painted in gouache with gold accents on paper, a medium closely associated with Safavid miniature painting. The miniature itself measures 25.5 × 20.6 cm (10 × 8.1 inches), while the full leaf, including the written text, measures 29.4 × 23.2 cm (11.6 × 9.1 inches). The text appears in five columns above and below the painting in elegant nasta‘liq script in black ink, with some lines written diagonally for added visual rhythm. The paper is sprinkled with gold, heightening its luxurious effect. On the reverse is a full page of text with an illuminated heading in white nasta‘liq, titled Kashtan-e Rustam-e Div-e Safid ra (“Rustam Kills the White Div”). The composition follows sixteenth-century Shiraz practice, with a circular frame of jagged rocks enclosing the cave and concentrating the drama of the encounter.

From Safavid Manuscript to the Art Market

The earlier history of this particular leaf is not fully known, but it almost certainly came from a Safavid Shahnameh manuscript made in Shiraz for a wealthy patron or courtly owner. Shiraz was a major center for manuscript production, and works of this kind were often commissioned by elite circles. This leaf, once part of a now dispersed manuscript, later appeared on the art market and was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 2024, reflecting the continued demand for Safavid miniatures. Its present location is unknown, as is often the case with auctioned works, though it may now be in a private collection or museum.