SAFAVID QAZVIN, CIRCA 1590

Here our protagonist listens the Princess of Khwarazm (a region in Central Asia north of Iran), daughter of the King of the Fifth Clime, on Wednesday. The painting is ambitious in its execution with the blue tonality faithfully staying true to the story it depicts. The sense of princely leisure is created through salvers overflowing with fruit, golden ewers and white porcelain. The pair, and their accompanying musicians and servants, are protected by a black fence from the outside world, guarded dutifully by the chamberlain (hajib).
The artist has gone further than simply visualise the text, and his work is a product of whimsical imagination with the blue tiling of the courtyard and dome inconsistent with contemporary architectural trends. Bahram is given his own personal carpet – shared not even with the Princess – denoting to the viewer his import and rank. Finally, the two cypress trees which burst through the rules into the outer margins allude to the beauty of the royal pair.