Bazindeh the Pigeon Weathers a Storm
Bazindeh the Pigeon Weathers a Storm
Fol. 22r from a manuscript of Anvar-i Suhayli
Iran, Qazvin (?), 1593
Watercolours, gold, silver, and ink on paper
AKM289 Fol. 22r
The preference for the safety and security of home over the perils of travel is a common theme in Persian literature of the pre-modern period, a time when long journeys were far more complicated and dangerous than today. This illustration, among the most beautiful and effective depictions of a storm in the repertoire of Persian painting, accompanies a story about the adventurous pigeon Bazindeh, who, after years of living in harmony with his companion, Navazindeh, wishes to see more of the world. Dismissing Navazindeh’s warnings, Bazindeh sets out but is soon caught in a terrible storm, a bad omen of the troubles he will repeatedly encounter on his journey. The moral of this tale is that one should “not exchange the pleasures of a settled home or the separation from friends for the anguish of travel; the result is nothing but lamentations and tearful eyes.”