The hero Rustam slaying a dragon, from a manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings)

Rustam is a prominent figure in the Shahnama, the Persian national epic written in the tenth century. In this painting, the heroic Rustam, who is also depicted in the painting below, wearing a tiger-skin coat and a feline helmet, battles a dragon—the third of seven obstacles that he must overcome during one of his adventures. The subject matter of this painting, its Chinese-inspired dragon, and the cloudlike rock formations are all associated with the Persian painting style ushered into South Asia under the early emperors of the Mughal dynasty (1526–1857).