Folio from a Haft awrang (Seven thrones) by Jami (d.1492); verso: the Aziz and Zulaykha enter the capital of Egypt and the Egyptians come out to greet them; recto: text
According to the poet Jami, Zulaykha's love for Yusuf is kindled by dreams of a radiant and strikingly handsome youth. Thinking that he is the governor (aziz) of Egypt, Zulaykha is delighted when her father arranges her marriage to the governor and sends her to Egypt. Upon her arrival, Zulaykha realizes with great despair that the governor is not her beloved.
The exuberant composition celebrates the arrival of Zulaykha and her large retinue at the gates of Egypt. The joyous, festive mood may well refer to the arrival of Sultan Ibrahim Mirza's royal cousin and future wife, Gawhar-Sultan Khanim, the eldest daughter of Shah Thamasb, in Mashhad in 1556.
Provenance:
To 1946
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York. [1]
From 1946
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York. [2]
Notes:
[1] Object file, undated folder sheet note. See also, Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920, Collections Management Office.
[2] See note 1.
Collection:
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)
The Seven Thrones of Jami: A Princely Manuscript from Iran (June 28, 1997 to March 29, 1998)
Exhibition of Persian Art (April to May 1940)
Untitled Exhibition, Institute of Fine Arts, Detroit, 1930 (1930)
