Genuine Antique Turkish Silk Istanbul Rug: 49x72 Cm

Genuine Antique Turkish Silk Istanbul Rug: 49x72 cm - Translation of the scriptures 1. Top: **"شراب اندر کف"** Translation: "Wine in hand" or "Wine in hand". 2. Left: **"چنگ اندر کف"** Translation: "Harp in hand" or "Zither in hand". 3. Right: **"کتف اندر کف"** This appears to be a distortion or stylization, but probably intended to rhyme with the others. The word "کتف" means "shoulder", which here is probably metaphorical or poetic. 4. Bottom: **"جام بیدار هوش"** Translation: "The cup that awakens the mind" or "The cup of awakening intelligence". The motif is typical of feast scenes or classical Persian poetry, often linked to the work of **Hafez** or **Omar Khayyam**, who sing the pleasures of wine, music and poetry. Perfect, I will explain to you the symbolism of this scene in Persian culture. --- ### **1. The Old Man (Sage or Poet) with the cup of wine:** * He often represents the **Sufi** or the **mystical poet** (like Hafez, Omar Khayyam or Rumi). * Wine in Persian poetry is not just an alcoholic beverage, it is a **spiritual symbol**: * **Mystical awakening**, divine ecstasy. * **Transcendence of reason** to achieve divine love. * Wine is an earthly "prohibition" but permitted in the "spiritual world," which denounces social hypocrisy. ### **2. The dancing woman (Wine Dancer):** * She embodies **carnal pleasure**, **earthly beauty**. * But in Sufi poetry, she also becomes an **allegory of the free soul** who dances in the quest for union with the Divine. * The reclining and relaxed position symbolizes the abandonment of moral constraints. ### **3. The musician (Harp or rubab player):** * He symbolizes **cosmic harmony**. * Music is seen as a means to achieve spiritual ecstasy and vibrate with the universe. * It is the sonic equivalent of mystical wine: a path to the loss of oneself in the All. ### **4. The inscriptions (Epicurean Poetry):** * They evoke the three elements of the mystical feast: **wine (شراب), music (چنگ), and pleasure (کتف)**. * The bottom evokes the "cup that awakens the spirit", thus an invitation to transcend material life through the pleasures that lead to higher consciousness. --- ### **Overall symbolism:** This kind of scene is not just a celebration of earthly pleasures: * It is a **metaphor of the Sufi mystical path**: * We free ourselves from rigid rules (religious or social). * We seek **divine truth** through art, wine, beauty, love. * It is a gentle revolt against hypocrisy and a quest for authenticity. Contact me to know the conditions of sale. Tel: 06 28 77 54 25Important note: Due to telephone advertising harassment, please leave a message to confirm that your call is from PROANTIC. Thank you for your understanding.My other rugs... SEE MY GALLERY