The Birds’ Journey To Mount Qaf, 2007
ceramic tiles with cold glaze and gold leaf
16 x 28cm x 28cm x 3cm
Based on the masterful twelfth-century Sufi poem “The Conference of the Birds,” this enchanting poem is accompanied by original illustrations painted on ceramic tiles, typical of the medieval Persian style.
Written by Hooda Shawa, and published by Saqi Books, London & Beirut.
It was one night while soaring in the Chinese sky,
I heard people talk of a great bird that flew by,
Called Simurgh, the greatest bird alive,
Who dwells on Mount Qaf, where he is said to thrive,
Upon a giant mountain unlike any other seen, covered with trees,
Beyond Samarkand, across seven valleys and seven seas.
The Hoopoe
The Partridge
The Peacock
Grounded Birds
The Nightingale
The Moon and the Feather
Qaf
The Owl
The Simurgh
Peaks and Valleys
The Reflection
The Falcon
Birds in Flight
The Parrot
The Duck
The Final Reflection