# Bahram Gur hunting

- Date: 16th century
- Classification: Painting
- Credit line: This calligraphic fragment is available from the United States Library of Congress's African & Middle Eastern division under the digital ID ascs.156. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright…
- Museum: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bahram_Gur_hunting.jpg)
- Rights: Public domain
- Picture: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Bahram_Gur_hunting.jpg/1920px-Bahram_Gur_hunting.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

This painting represents an episode drawn from Nizami's "Haft Paykar" (The Seven Thrones), the fourth book of his "Khamsah" (Quintet). The great Sasanian king Bahram Gur (r. 430-38), famous for his hunting powers and thus nicknamed "wild ass" (Bahram Gur), astonishes his companions with his quasi-divine prowess at hunting onagers. After his expedition and as a gesture of generosity, he orders 1,200 onagers (half to be branded and half to be earmarked with gold rings) to be distributed among his people. Script: nasta'liq.