Bahram Gur and the Indian Princess in the Black Pavilion (painting, verso; text, recto), illustrated folio from a manuscript of the Khamsa (Haft Paykar) by Nizami

The Haft paykar (Seven Beauties, or Seven Portraits) is a romantic epic poem of about 5130 couplets that narrates the life of the Sasanian king Bahram Gur. A substantial section of the poem relates how Bahram Gur discovered portraits of princesses from the seven climes, fell in love with these beauties, searched them out, and wed them all. For his brides he had an architect construct seven domed pavilions with colors corresponding to the seven climes and the planets that ruled them. On each day of the week, the king visited one princess, who would tell him a story in keeping with her color and mood. This painting depicts Bahram Gur’s visit on Saturday to the Indian princess, who occupies a black pavilion (governed by Saturn). The king and his bride, wearing black and dark gray robes patterned in gold, sit in a black-domed palatial structure, drinking wine as female servants and entertainers attend them. The illuminated text boxes are embedded in the palace architecture, becoming part of the densely ornamental painted surface. As is typical of these illustrations, the color of the protagonists’ clothing matches that of the architecture around them.