Amir Khusrau the poet receives his friend Ali
ca. 1450
Hasht-Bihisht (translated to Eight Paradises) is one of five narrative poems that comprise the Khamsa (quintet). Authored by Amir Khusrau (ca. 1253–1325), it is considered one of the most important Persian works composed in South Asia. Similar to much medieval Persian poetry, Khusrau’s Khamsa harkens back to past literary genres, thematically emulating the Khamsa of another Persian poet, Nizami.
Completed in the speedy Naskhi script, the Persian text envelops the bold painting of the figure of Amir Khusrau speaking with his friend Ali, who urges him to pen the Hasht-Bihisht. Its primary colors, horizontal picture format, double red rulings, and three-quarter profiles indicate that this folio was produced in the Sultanate period. The gesticulating hands bent at the wrist suggest that Ali and Khusrau are in the midst of conversation.
Opaque watercolor and ink on paper
3 3/4 x 8 1/8 in. (9.53 x 20.64 cm)
Overall h.: 11 3/4 in.
Overall w.: 8 3/4 in.
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
63.39
Provenance: [Heeramaneck Galleries, New York, New York]; purchased from gallery by Seattle Art Museum (Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection), January 25, 1963
