"Bahram Gur in the Green Palace on Monday", Folio 224 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja

Nizami

A.H. 931/1524–25 CE · Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

The Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) is one of the five poems of the Khamsa of Nizami. The poetry is mystical, illustrating the supremacy of divine love over earthly pleasures. In the story, Bahram Gur marries seven princesses from the seven regions of the world and visits each one in her own pavilion on successive nights. Here, he and the princess of Khorezm are seated in the garden pavilion of the green palace. The surrounding objects provide a glimpse of the luxury goods of the early sixteenth century. Although this manuscript was completed during the Safavid period, it displays a continuity with the painting styles of Timurid Herat.

Artist

Nizami

Date

A.H. 931/1524–25 CE

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Alexander Smith Cochran, 1913