#khamseh

[almostlookedhuman]

[pollyj]

Robe

Central Asia, 20th century

This luxurious robes tells four different stories. It shows the court of wise King Solomon, illustrating his marvelous ability to understand the languages of all creatures, followed by that of the Abbasid caliph Haroun al-Rashid, offering a ninth-century model for exemplary rule. Featured in The Thousand and One Nights, Haroun al-Rashid founded the Grand Library or "House of Wisdom" in Baghdad and exchanged gifts with the European ruler Charlemagne - including silk, ivory, and an elephant named Abul-Abbas. Other stories featured on the robe include the Greek romance Vamiq and Azra, translated into Farsi in pre-Islamic times, along with the story of Sultan Sanjar and the old woman from the "Treasury of Secrets." The first of the five parts of Nizami's Khamseh, it concerns religion, morality, and power. The images woven into this robe show how textiles, almost as much as books, served to carry many stories along the Silk Roads.

[heirloomrug]

⁠Providing solid footing for choppy waters. This week’s picks are up!🏄🏻‍♂️🌊⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #lilihan #mahal #khamseh #layeringrugs #vintagerugs #handmaderugs #interiordecor #ihavethisthingwithrugs #interiordesign #solidfooting (at Heirloom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9zxvLLHDG2/?igshid=1tadr7dkegaqv

[almostlookedhuman]

[pollyj]

Layli and Majnun at School, from a manuscript of the Quintet (Khamseh) by Nizami

Iran, Shiraz, 1527

This intimate scene depicts the doomed lovers Layli and Majnun, as Qais - later called "the mad one" (Persian, majnun) due to his extravagant passion - meets Layli for the first time in their shared schoolroom. The highly detailed painting depicts activities typical of the sixteenth-century schoolyard, where the students practice their writing skills and study books; one poor scholar is being punished by a schoolmaster.

[almostlookedhuman]

[almostlookedhuman]

[almostlookedhuman]