Folio from a Yusuf and Zulaykha by Jami (d. 1492); Egyptian women overwhelmed by Yusuf's beauty
circa 1525
Safavid period

Opaque watercolor and ink on paper
H: 26.6 W: 15.9 cm
Herat, Afghanistan

The story of Yusuf and Zulayka is well known from the Old Testament (Genesis 37-45, where the principal characters are called Joseph and Potiphar's wife), the Koran (chapter XII), and secular literature. This painting belongs to a copy of the popular Persian poem composed by Jami. It depicts Zulaykha, seated under an arch, eating oranges with a group of Egyptian women. When the beautiful Yusuf walks onto the terrace, Zulaykha's guests are so bedazzled that they cut not only through the oranges but also through their fingers. One woman has even swooned at the sight!

Although no information is available about the painting's "parent" manuscript, the work can be assigned on stylistic grounds to Herat, the capital of the Timurid dynasty (1370-1506), and a major cultural center in the Safavid dynasty (1501-1732).

Copyright © 2012 Smithsonian Institution