'The Dream of Zulaykha' Canvas Cloth Print, c.1670

Provenance

Zulaykha lies asleep on a tiled terrace, surrounded by fine cushions and dressed in luminous fabric. In her dream, the figure of Joseph appears above her, illuminated by a shaft of divine light cast down by angels who emerge from heavy night clouds. He is dressed as a Mughal prince. She is the wife of a wealthy Egyptian. The two of them will never be together — which is precisely the point.

The scene comes from Jami's Yusuf va Zulaykha, the great Persian poem of the 15th century that retells the Joseph story as a mystical romance. In Jami's telling, Zulaykha's consuming love for Joseph is an allegory for the soul's relationship with God. The beloved is always at a distance. The longing is the path.

The painting comes from the Amber Album, a Mughal manuscript assembled for a royal collection in the 17th century. The setting is characteristically Mughal: a tiled terrace, an architectural frame, a night sky articulated with dark clouds and divine light. Joseph appears dressed in the costume of the very court for which the painting was made.

Disclaimer:

• The frames shown are for display purposes only and are not included with the artwork.
• As these are made-to-order designer pieces, expect minor colour variations from the displayed artwork.