In the Palace of the ‘Abbasid Caliph, Folio from a manuscript of Nigaristan

Author: Ahmad

1573-74 CE/980 AH/AH 980

Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper

Aga Khan Museum

A group of people are gathered in an interior space, some seated and some standing, with one person playing a drum. The scene is richly decorated with patterned textiles and architectural elements. A group of people are gathered in an interior space, some seated and some standing, with one person playing a drum. The scene is richly decorated with patterned textiles and architectural elements. Further Reading The miniature painting illustrates the moralizing tale of Jaʿfar Barmaki,[1] minister of the famous ʿAbbasid Caliph Harun al-Rašid[2] (786–809) in Baghdad. It displays the same compositional features as the interior court scenes[3] of Shiraz illustrations of the period. The image is placed in a rectangular frame between two textboxes above and below it. The crowned figure, the vizier Jaʿfar Barmaki, sits on a rug at