illustration reflects the poetic reference to the Taq-e Bustan. [Figure 10]As
with Shapur’s drawings, the artistry presumed sinful in modern under-
standings of Islamic cultural norms is treated as beneficial and noble.
Figure 10Anonymous,Shirin Visits the Sculptor Farhad at Work, from aKhosrau wa
Shirinby Nizami of Ganj,c.1400. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC: Purchase–Charles Lang Freer Endowment,
F1931.35
The Ambivalent Image 209