Eskandar Sees the Talking Trees, From a dispersed manuscript of the Book of Kings (Shahnameh) of Firdausi (d. 1020), Uzbekistan, Bukhara, 16th century, Ink on paper and opaque watercolour

Eskandar Sees the Talking Trees, From a dispersed manuscript of the Book of Kings (Shahnameh) of Firdausi (d. 1020), Uzbekistan, Bukhara, 16th century, Ink on paper and opaque watercolour

Alexander the Great (356 – 323 BCE) is known under many names, including the Persian ‘Eskandar’ depicted in manuscripts from Iran and Uzbekistan. His Macedonian origins and association with Greek culture — above all through his teacher, Aristotle — were eclipsed by his travels and conquest of much of the known world. Traditions across Asia, Europe, and Africa paint a picture of Alexander as a figure of exemplary power and audacity, as well as a warning of the dangers of overreach. Vivid manuscript illustrations depict scenes from Alexander’s life, from the battle with the Zangis and meeting with Khaqan found in Nizami’s Khamseh to the encounter with the enigmatic Trees of the Sun and Moon seen here in a page from Firdausi’s Shahnameh. In this manuscript from 16th-century Bukhara, the talking trees located at the edge of the earth offer the all-powerful ruler a prophetic glimpse of the untimely death that awaits him, in spite of his supreme power.

Firdausi (d. 1020)

Royal Ontario Museum

16th century

Photographer credit: Courtesy of the Royal Ontario Museum

Royal Ontario Museum

Dimensions: 33.1 x 21.5 cm (Frame dimensions: H 21" x L 17" x D 1 1/4")

Materials: Ink on paper and opaque watercolour

Persian

ROM 970.268.2A

Uzbekistan, Bukhara