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7863
No. 7863 – 141 × 94 cm
Wool and silk on a cotton base
This beautiful old Tabriz rug vividly depicts a scene from the legendary Persian epic Khosrow and Shirin, written by Nezami (c. 1141–1209).
The figure in the scene, however, is not Khosrow II, the last great Sassanid king of Persia who ruled from 590 to 628 AD and famously loved the Armenian princess Shirin. Instead, it is Farhad—the humble stonecutter—who also fell deeply in love with Shirin. In a cruel twist, Khosrow mocked Farhad's passion, promising to abandon his claim to Shirin if the mason could carve a path through the mountain of Bisotun. Farhad set to the task with tireless devotion, driven by love, and came close to achieving the impossible. Yet before he could finish, Khosrow’s men deceived him with the false news of Shirin’s death. In despair, Farhad threw himself from the cliff and perished.
The rug captures a moment earlier in the story: when Shirin, visiting Farhad’s work, found her horse had fallen ill. Upon hearing of her distress, Farhad rushed to help, lifted both Shirin and her horse, and carried them back to her palace—an act of boundless strength and love.
The inscription woven into the rug is a line drawn from Farokhi yazdi, another revered Persian poet:
“Entangled in love with Shirin so sweet, Farhad surrendered his life, accepting defeat.”
This rug is more than a decorative piece. It is a woven tale of romance, sacrifice, and cultural depth—a beautiful example of how thousands of years of heritage inspire carpet design, whether through abstract motifs or, as seen here, in powerfully literal storytelling.
