The Caliph Harun al-Rashid in the Bath (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a manuscript of the Khamsa (Makhzan al-Asrar) by Nizami

While shaving the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid (d. 809) in the bathhouse, a barber impertinently professed his love for the ruler’s daughter and asked to marry her. Astounded at the barber’s audacity, the caliph consulted his vizier, who speculated that the barber might have been standing atop a treasure, which would generate inordinate confidence in any man. The next day, the vizier suggested, the caliph should choose another spot in the bathhouse and observe the barber’s behavior. Standing in a different place to minister to the caliph, the barber behaved in a polite and appropriate manner, not mentioning the ruler’s daughter. Harun al-Rashid immediately ordered the original location excavated, and indeed a treasure was found there. The illustration represents a lively genre scene of men in a bathhouse being washed, massaged, shaved, and entertained. Depicted at the right of the main chamber are a seated man, his lower body draped in blue, and a standing man in red who shaves his head. These two probably represent the caliph and the barber.