Textile Depicting a Scene from Nizama's Khamsa

Unknown

16th–17th century · Silk, metal wrapped thread; double-weave · Islamic Art

The imagery seen on this exquisitely woven cloth suggests the theme of love. The romance of King Khusrau and Princess Shirin, immortalized by the poet Nizami, is illustrated here, with the princess shown on horseback and the sculptor Farhad, hopelessly in love with Shirin, hacking a cleft in the mountain with his axe to bring his beloved a refreshing drink. Interspersed vertically and horizontally with these and other pictorial elements are cartouches filled with verses of unidentified authorship: The splendor of your figure comes from beauty It has given life to this outer cloak There has never been a garment of such beauty One might say it has been woven from the threads of your soul.

Artist

Unknown

Date

16th–17th century

Medium

Silk, metal wrapped thread; double-weave

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Fletcher Fund, 1946