Siyavush Enthroned in a Garden Pavilion with Attendants, folio from a manuscript of the Shahnama by Firdawsi

The Iranian prince Siyavush is here shown seated on a golden throne after his marriage to Farangis and the festivities that followed the event. As a wedding gift, Farangis’s father, King Afrasiyab, granted Siyavush vast territories stretching to the Sea of China, as well as a golden throne and crown. The painting clearly shows these objects, and the red curtains ornamented with Chinese cloud forms emphasize the proximity of China. In style, the painting can be related to works following the visual tradition of Riza ?Abbasi from the 1630s.