Unknown - Hafez-Diwan - 1815

A bi-folio miniature of Kashmiri origin copied from the Divan written by Mohammed Shama od-din Hafez (1329-1399), and in very good condition. The Hafez-Diwan is a collection of poems, primarily ghazals, by the 14th-century Persian poet Hafez, a Sufi Muslim who practised a mystical form of Islam. His name 'Hafez' was given to those Muslims who could recite the Holy Koran by heart. The poems explore themes of love (both earthly and divine), spirituality, hypocrisy, and the fleeting nature of life, often through celebrations of wine and intoxication. The Diwan is a cornerstone of Persian literature, with poems used in daily life, for musical inspiration, and for bibliomancy (fortune-telling) in Iran.

Written on fine burnished paper, the bi-folio is scribed in elegant nasta'liq in black ink. Each folio is framed with a thick inner gold frame line and a thin outer blue frame. The right folio has a decorative header, somewhat faded, and decorative sub-headers with floral book-ends. The left folio has the same book ends.

This right folio describes a beautiful woman, with teeth like pearls, honeyed lips and dark eyes with whom the poet feels sick with love. The left folio describes a messengers letter, possibly from a lover, stamped with the seal of Solomon.

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