| Popis: |
The romances in the Khamsa of Nizami Ganjavi are introduced in detail, focusing on Khusrau and Shirin. A narrative summary illustrates the relationship between the Sasanian king (r. 591-628) and the Armenian princess as they evolve from love-struck youths entangled in love triangles to the rulers of the Iranian empire. Silks depicting their initial meeting, as Khusrau watches a partially nude Shirin bathing in a stream, are studied in four different textile designs, one by Ghiyath al-Din and three by anonymous naqshbandan (‘textile designers’), and compared to paintings of the same period. The relationship between the gaze, the body and garments as a mode of communicating the inner self of the wearer is discussed as an expression of divine love and human desire. |
