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