Sufi Lovers, Safavid Silks and Early Modern Identity

Nazanin Hedayat Munroe

doi:10.1017/9789048551149

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Nazanin Hedayat Munroe, City University of New York

Publisher:: Amsterdam University Press
Online publication date:: April 2023
Print publication year:: 2023
Online ISBN:: 9789048551149
DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1017/9789048551149

Subjects:: Art: General Interest, Art
Series:: Visual and Material Culture, 1300-1700

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This book examines a group of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century figural silks depicting legendary lovers from the 'Khamsa' (Quintet) of epic Persian poetry. Codified by Nizami Ganjavi in the twelfth-century, the Khamsa gained popularity in the Persian-speaking realm through illustrated manuscripts produced for the elite, creating a template for illustrating climactic scenes in the love stories of 'Layla and Majnun' and 'Khusrau and Shirin' that appear on early modern silks. Attributed to Safavid Iran, the publication proposes that dress fashioned from these silks represented Sufi ideals based on the characters. Migration of weavers between Safavid and Mughal courts resulted in producing goods for a sophisticated and educated elite, demonstrating shared cultural values and potential reattribution. Through an examination of primary source materials, literary analysis of the original text, and close iconographical study of figural designs, the study presents original cross-disciplinary arguments about patronage, provenance, and the socio-cultural significance of wearing these silks.

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Sufi Lovers, Safavid Silks and Early Modern Identity

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp 1-4

Dedication
pp 5-6

Table of Contents
pp 7-8

Acknowledgments
pp 9-10

List of Illustrations
pp 11-14

Note on Transliteration
pp 15-16

Introduction: Material Culture and Mysticism in the Persianate World
pp 17-24

Part I
pp 25-26

1 - Silks, Signatures and Self-fashioning
pp 27-52

2 - Dressed as King, Lover and Beloved: Khusrau and Shirin
pp 53-82

3 - Weaving Stories, Weaving Self: Layla and Majnun as Sufi Icons
pp 83-112

Part II
pp 113-114

4 - The Divine Cloak of Majesty: Material Culture in Sufi Practice
pp 115-144

5 - Mughal Dress and Spirituality: The Age of Sufi Kings
pp 145-180

6 - Safavid Figural Silks in Diplomacy: Rare Textiles of Novel Design
pp 181-208

Conclusion
pp 209-220

Appendix A - List of Khamsa Silks
pp 221-222

Appendix B - Summary of ‘Shirin and Khusrau’ by Amir Khusrau Dihlavi
pp 223-226

Appendix C - Summary of ‘Majnun and Layla’ by Amir Khusrau Dihlavi
pp 227-230

Glossary of Textile Terms
pp 231-234

Glossary of Persian and Arabic Terms
pp 235-240

List of Historic Figures
pp 241-246

Index
pp 247-248

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Sufi Lovers, Safavid Silks and Early Modern Identity

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