The Tuhfet ul-Leta’if
Salih Takes Mah-Pervin on Board
Fol. 29r from a manuscript of Tuhfet ul-Leta’if
Turkey, Istanbul, 1593–1594
Opaque watercolour, gold, and ink on paper
AKM280.11
At the beginning of Tuhfet ul-Leta’if, the deceitful grand vizier has killed King Ardeshir, imprisoned Shah Ramin, and cast his own daughter Mah-Pervin into the sea in a chest. Mah-Pervin drifts to an island governed by a man named Jarus, but she escapes after he repeatedly makes unwanted advances. As shown in this illustration, she takes to the sea in a small dinghy, and is rescued by a caravan led by a merchant named Salih. The tumultuous waters, executed in silver, were originally meant to catch the flickering candlelight, however the metal pigment has tarnished to a dull grey over the centuries, diminishing the original effect. Digital animation can revive an approximate sense of such wavering motion.