KHORASSAN, IRAN, CIRCA 1580

Jami’s 1483 Yusuf wa Zulaykha, part of his Haft Awrang (‘The Seven Thrones’), is a retelling of the twelfth sura of the Qur’an that also appears in the Bible. Interpreted as a Sufi metaphor for the beloved's yearning for union with the divine, it illustrates the triumph of the soul over the flesh. It is one of the most frequently copied works of Persian literature and was already illustrated during Jami's lifetime, distinguishing him from other masters. Not long after his death in 1492, his works were enthusiastically copied and illustrated under the Uzbek Shaybanids (Chad Kia, ‘Jāmi iii. And Persian Art,’ Encyclopaedia Iranica). Our painting follows the Uzbek style, but another illustration - likely from the same dispersed manuscript - and painted in a more Persian manner is in the British Museum, London (1914,0407,0.7). An illustrated copy of Jami’s Haft Awrang dated 1580-1 was sold in these Rooms, 14 October 1997, lot 111.