A literary jewel, the Shahnameh heaves with tales of kings and conquerors, demons and dragons. A Persian Book of Kings, it is an epic poem twice as long as the Odyssey and the Iliad combined, written by the poet Ferdowsi 1,000 years ago. This scintillating new exhibition displays nearly 100 paintings from illuminated manuscripts of the poem, created in the centuries after the epic work was completed.

The Shahnameh blends myth and reality. Split into three sections – myths, legends and history – it serves, according to museum director Timothy Potts, as ‘the pre-eminent compendium of legend and knowledge about Iran’s past’, a past which can be charted from the mythical Kiyumars through the legendary exploits of Rostam, described by the exhibition as ‘the Hercules of Persian folklore’, to the conquest of Iran by Alexander the Great and the history and collapse of the Sasanian dynasty (c. AD 224-651).

The illuminated manuscripts are a fitting tribute to Ferdowsi’s work. Regardless of whether the scenes shown to the visitor are real or fictitious, the effect on the senses is always dazzling: we are greeted with a multitude of colours, created from crushed precious stones and wild plants. A generous portion of gold leaf is also applied across the pages. As if this were not enough, there is also a selection of metalwork and ceramics, including medieval armour and daggers of the sort found in the Shahnameh.

The largest and most recent item on display is an ornate table top of circular form, centred upon the tale of Rostam shooting Ashkabus, made in Tehran in 1886-87 for a British Army officer. Perhaps a little gaudy, it is nevertheless testament to the long-term influence of Ferdowsi’s work.