"The Concourse of the Birds", Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds), Painting by Habiballah of Sava, ca. 1600

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The Concourse of the Birds', Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds), ca. 1600, Attributed to Iran, Isfahan, Ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper, Painting: H. 10 in. ( cm), Codices, Painting by Habiballah of Sava (active ca. 1590–1610), The illustration on this folio depicts a scene from a mystical poem, Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds), written by a twelfth-century Iranian, Farid al-Din 'Attar. The birds, which symbolize individual souls in search of the simurgh (a mystical bird representing ultimate spiritual unity), are assembled in an idyllic landscape to begin their pilgrimage under the leadership of a hoopoe (perched on a rock at center right

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Size: 3627px × 5680px
Photo credit: © Artokoloro / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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