The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 6, 2024

Yusuf and Zulaykha (recto); Illustration and Text (Persian Verses) in an Anthology with some verses from Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) of Jami; The Fifth Throne

Yusuf and Zulaykha (recto); Illustration and Text (Persian Verses) in an Anthology with some verses from Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) of Jami; The Fifth Throne

c. 1556–65
Sheet: 29.8 x 17.3 cm (11 3/4 x 6 13/16 in.); Image: 21.3 x 15.3 cm (8 3/8 x 6 in.)
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Figs and pomegranates, being served to the couple, are symbolic of fertility.

Description

The Khamsa, a suite of five poems (khamsa is Arabic for five) written in the twelfth century, was, like the earlier Shahnama, concerned with the history and legends of pre-Islamic Iran. But Nizami's interest was with love rather than war. In this, the second of the poems, he tells the story of famous star-crossed lovers.
  • ?–1947
    (Heeramaneck Galleries, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1947–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Neils, Jenifer. “The Twain Shall Meet.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 72, no. 6 (1985): 326–359. Mentioned: no. 26, p. 357 www.jstor.org
  • The Twain Shall Meet. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 30, 1985-January 5, 1986).
  • {{cite web|title=Yusuf and Zulaykha (recto); Illustration and Text (Persian Verses) in an Anthology with some verses from Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) of Jami; The Fifth Throne|url=false|author=|year=c. 1556–65|access-date=06 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1947.501.a