Nur al-Din Jami’s “Gift to the Noble.” Jami (d. 1492), the last of the classical Persian poets, was a mystic linked to the Sufi Naqshbandi order in Herat (in modern Afghanistan). One of his most famous poems, “Gift to the Noble (or Gift of the Freemen),” is a collection of aphorisms and moral parables in rhymed poetic stanzas.  Jami presented this collection to the leader of the Naqshbandis, who was also known as “Lord of the Nobles/Freemen.” This manuscript was copied in 1484, just three years after Jami composed the poem.

In addition to its historical importance, this manuscript includes two beautiful miniatures that were added later in the 18th century, simulating 15th century illustration styles. Shown here is a royal garden scene, from the manuscript’s opening page. On the right side, a prince and his entourage are standing by a flowing stream, while a gardener holding a hoe in the top right corner, enters through the garden’s gate. On the left side, courtiers stand near a spring, in which fish swim, and a shepherd plays his flute with his dog nearby.