Captioned painting showing a man and woman in the middle-right, while five standing figures to their left point and laugh. Below is a river, filled with flowers, birds, and foxes. Above, a man lifts something out of a well using an ox, with rolling hills and two distant palaces beyond.
AKM28AKM288.6, A Man Tempted by a Veiled Woman, Folio from a manuscript of the Ethics of Nasir (Akhlaq-i Nasiri), Fol.125v

© The Aga Khan Museum

Beige folio page with 12 lines of black calligraphy, enclosed by a border of thin lines in gold, blue, and brown. In the upper left margin, there is a black annotation. There are stains from the painting on the reverse visible on the page.
AKM288.6.f1AKM288.6, A Man Tempted by a Veiled Woman, Folio from a manuscript of the Ethics of Nasir (Akhlaq-i Nasiri), Fol.125r

© The Aga Khan Museum

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A Man Tempted by a Veiled Woman, Folio from a manuscript of the Ethics of Nasir (Akhlaq-i Nasiri)
  • Accession Number:AKM288.6
  • Creator:Author: Nasir al-Din Tusi, Persian, 1201 - 1274
    Created for: Nasir al-Din `Abd al-Rahim
  • Place:Pakistan, Lahore
  • Dimensions:23.9 cm × 14.2 cm
  • Date:ca. 1590-1595
  • Materials and Technique:Opaque watercolour, ink and gold on paper

  • As Nasir al-Din Tusi explains, temptation can take many forms. This painting illustrates the anecdote of a man who is overwhelmed by desire for a passing woman whom he imagines to be beautiful. On removing her veil, however, the woman is revealed to be hideous, and the man is mocked by the crowd that has gathered around.

    See AKM288  for an introduction to a manuscript of the Ethics of Nasir (Akhlaq-i Nasiri) and links to the other paintings within this manuscript.

    — Marika Sardar 

     

Note: This online resource is reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. We are committed to improving this information and will revise and update knowledge about this object as it becomes available.

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