his picture on the branch of a plane tree； Sheikh Ali R？za from Shiraz had
drawn distinctly all the leaves of the tree one by one so they filled the entire
sky。 In answer to a fool who saw the work and mented that the true
subject of the illustration wasn’t the plane tree； Sheikh Ali replied that the true
subject wasn’t the passion of the beautiful young maiden either； it was the
passion of the artist； and to proudly prove his point he attempted to paint the
same plane tree with all its leaves on a grain of rice。 If the signature hidden
beneath the beautiful feet of Shirin’s darling lady attendants hadn’t misled
me； I was of course seeing the magnificent tree made by the blind master on
paper—not the tree made on a grain of rice； which he left half finished； having
gone blind seven years and three months after he started the task。 On another
page； Rüstem blinding Alexander with his forked arrow was depicted in the
manner of artists who knew the Indian style； so vivaciously and colorfully； that
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blindness； the ageless sorrow and secret desire of the genuine miniaturist；
appeared to the observer as the prologue to a joyous celebration。
My eyes wandered over these pictures and volumes； no less with the
excitement of one who wanted to behold for himself these l