#assartabrizi

[harvardfineartslib]

Today is International Bath Day. There is an interesting story behind this miniature painting depicting a bathing scene.

Sheikh Shams al-Din Muhammad 'Assar Tabrizi was a poet and scholar in 14th century Persia. Inspired by the works of Nizami Ganjavi, a 12th century Persian poet who was considered the greatest romantic epic poet, Assar Tabrizi wrote Mihr wa Mushtari. 

The relationship between the two protagonists, Mihr (son of Shahpur Shah) and Mushtari (son of Shapur Shah's Vizir), is spiritual and platonic, and their story unfolds from childhood through adulthood.

“In Persian mystical poetry, physical love is often a reflection of divine love, and the beauty of the beloved a reflection of God’s beauty. The beloved was just as often a man as a woman, and although love did not have to manifest itself physically, the sexual ambiguity of works like this was enough to awaken displeasure in more morally oriented circles….. this does not seem to have been the case between Mihr and Mushtari. In any event, Mihr marries Nahid, the daughter of the Khwarazm shah. The bathing scene is unusual. The text explains that Mihr, the central seated figure, is having a knot in his long hair combed out.” (from The David Collection.)

Mihr wa Mushtari (The David Collection, Copenhagen) Translation Title: The Sun and Jupiter c. 1540-1550 Shiraz, Fars, Iran Opaque watercolor and gold on paper 25 × 20 cm Persian Islamic Safavid Repository: The David Collection, Copenhagen, København, Denmark HOLLIS Number: 8001380089