AN ILLUSTRATED FOLIO FROM YUSUF O ZULEYKHA IN JAMI'S HAFT AWRANG
Provincial School, Safavid Iran or Central Asian Provinces, 17th - 18th century

Persian manuscript on paper, 4ll. on the front and 11ll. on the reverse of black ink nasta’liq script divided into two columns, the illustration portraying Jacob bestowing his green walking stick to young Yusuf, igniting the jealousy of his brothers, painted in opaque pigments and gold, set within blue, gold, and black rules, in a bevelled mount, the text panel 12.2cm x 6.2cm, the folio 16.2cm x 7.3cm, 18.8cm x 12.5cm including the mount.

The device of the central tree in the miniature marks the transference of the walking stick, and concurrently divides and connects Jacob and Joseph in a dramatic way. The tree branches and the jali wall of gold leaves beneath the blue arch provide a theatrical backdrop to the scene, creating an elegant indoor-outdoor interplay.

Dimensions: 18.8cm x 12.5cm including the mount