TWO SAFAVID MINIATURE PAINTINGS Iran, late Safavid period, 18th century  Comprising a battle scene from the story of Siavash, extracted from the Shahnama (The Book of Kings) by Ferdowsi, opaque pigments, gold highlights and black ink nasta’liq calligraphy on paper, the restored paper arranged in the foreground with verses from the story of Siavash, the middle ground with a row of mounted warriors in armour attending the meeting of the two heroes, and the same two heroes on foot in a hilly landscape, an arrow and a dagger in mid-air flying toward Siavash, who in keeping with his promise of peace does not defend himself against Afrasiyab in the background, mounted, framed and glazed, the folio 20.2cm x 8.5cm and 32cm x 24.3cm including the frame; and Joseph feeding his brothers, Persian prose manuscript in black nasta’liq script on paper, illustrated in opaque pigments with a crowned Joseph eating with Benjamin in a canopied pavilion, the other brothers eating in pairs, attended by servants, in off-white mount, framed and glazed, the folio 21.7cm x 11.5cm and 34.5cm x 23cm including the frame.