This painting is the outer cover of Sayyid ‘Ali al-Husayni's binded copy of *Yusuf and Zulaikha*, a very famous narrative poem adapting the story of the Prophet Yusuf and the Aziz's wife, written during the late 15th century by 'Abd al-Rahman Jami. The poem reinterprets the story, giving a name to the wife, who had found herself infatuated with Yusuf's beauty, and having the pair come together by the end of the poem, rather than herself staying with her husband as in the Quran's telling.
The painting itself displays carnations and roses, the latter a quite significant symbol in Persian art, and both being flowers that Hadi had used multiple times in his work. These flowers are in a beautiful style of rendering that allows for soft contouring through the shadows and a harmonious balance between the delicate orange petals and lively dark green stems and leaves.
Muhammed Hadi was known for his skilled floral and lacquer paintings, so much so that his name was highly regarded in the Qajar era and his work could be sold for quite high prices. As the painting is noted to be made on painted papier-mâché boards, it is likely that this cover is a lacquer painting itself, if not oil upon a smoothed surface of papier-mâché. A fascinating aspect is the border, Hadi's skill with flowery designs demonstrated cleanly in a semi-repeating pattern that could be mistaken for a modern-printed one. While the background may not appear significant upon first glance, its smooth block of colour elevates the detailed shapes of the flowers, maintaining a balanced weight behind the contrasting oranges and greens that allow both remain in the spotlight.
Binding of a Manuscript (Cover) can be interpreted as more than a decorative book cover; it appears to celebrate beauty, crafstmanship and the cultural importance of literature, The carefullly painted roses and carnations create an atmosphere of elegance & refinement, suggesting that the manuscript it protects was considered a valuable and treasured object. The floral imagery seems to transform the book into something almost sacred, where art & knowledge are closely connected.
What stands out is the sense of balance within the composition. Although the flowers are richly detailed, the plain background prevents the design from becoming overwhelming and the it allows the viewer to appreciate the delicate forms and colours. The roses are particularly significant because they have long been associated with beauty, love and spiritual devotion in Persian artistic Traditions. Knowing that the cover belonged to a copy of Yusuf & Zulaikha, a story centred on love, longing and spiritual transformation, the floral decoration feels especially meaningful.
