Though earlier scholars have certainly referenced silks depicting Khamsa characters to exemplify the high level of accomplishment in Safavid weaving, prior to my doctoral dissertation the group had never been analyzed as a whole. Examining primary source materials, passages from Nizami’s original text and iconography in both textiles and paintings, this book further develops the theory that fashioning these textiles into garments represents a connection between the wearer and the characters displayed on one’s outer clothing: an external representation of the internal self. The analysis further elaborates the important link of Sufi practice as integral to experiencing the world through the eyes of the lover, representing the mystic aspirant.

It should be noted at the onset that many of the surviving Khamsa silks are fragments, most of which are known through publications by museums outside the Persianate world. As earlier scholars note, the fragments mysteriously appeared at auctions, were sold by dealers, or acquired by private collectors, with little documentation of provenance other than the location of acquisition. The most lucrative and convenient way to resell what may have been an intact garment or large piece was to cut it into small pieces and sell them as fragments. This requires the textile historian to utilize original approaches for writing about extant materials relative to other textual and visual evidence, such as whether the silks were fashioned into garments or utilized in other ways.