SAFAVID KHORASSAN, NORTH EASTERN IRAN, CIRCA 1570-80

The present lot comes from Jami’s 15th century Sufi masterpiece Yusuf wa Zulaykha, an allegorical romance based on the Qur’anic story of the Prophet Yusuf. This painting is an excellent representation of the mystical themes at the core of Jami’s work. We see Zulaykha physically separated from Yusuf, her beloved, who is brought before Potiphar in the next room. Despite her petitions to be allowed entry, indicated by her upward glance and raised hand, the man guarding the door shows no intention of letting her enter. Meanwhile, Yusuf’s meekness before Potiphar can be seen to represent that which a Sufi must strive for. In Zulaykha’s frustration at being banished from Yusuf, we are meant to see our own physical separation from union with the Divine.