The Shahnama, often called the "national epic" of Iran, was
completed around the year 1010 by the Persian poet Abu'l Qasim
Firdawsi. A vast and complex poem, it opens with the creation of
the world and concludes with the Muslim conquest of Iran in the
mid-seventh century, thus comprising myth, legend, and history.
Some 45,000 lines are filled with a rich panoply of
characters—kings, queens, princes, princesses, heroes, lovers,
warriors, villains, and magical creatures. Copied and
illustrated countless times over the centuries, the Shahnama's
immense popularity and influence extend well beyond the borders
of Iran. The MFA, along with companion exhibitions at the
Harvard Art Museum and the Houghton Library beginning in June
2010, marks a millennium of Shahnama inspiration by looking at
different aspects of the poem. The MFA’s exhibition explores the
theme of women in the Shahnama. Although in Firdawsi's text
stories about male heroes vastly outnumber those concerning
women, tales about women are some of the poe