Pen Case with Scenes from the "Haft Paykar"

This pen box is adorned with scenes from one of the great classics of Persian literature: the Haft Paykar (Seven Images) by the medieval poet Nizami of Ganja (ca. 1141-1209). The central part of the Haft Paykar elaborates on a series of visits made by the pre-Islamic Sassanian king Bahram V Gur to the princesses of the seven climes, each of whom recounts an edifying story on kingly virtues, followed by the pleasures of feasting and love, as depicted here. In the central oval on the top of this pen box is the image of the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus.