2-722-130 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

A marbled picture of Rustam catching Rakhsh, c. 1650. This scene depicts the young hero Rustam catching a foal, Rakhsh (meaning "light"), who will be his faithful companion through many adventures. A prophet-like shepherd figure with a staff at the upper left predicts that Rustam will be the savior of Iran. At the top of the page a feline has caught its prey, while a hunter steps on its tail. This extraordinary painting has more applications of marbled colourant than any other known example. Even all the flowers and birds have been articulated through marbling in a feat of registration and control by a master of the technique.