Pen Box with Shams-i Tabrizi Casting Rumi's Book into the Water c. 1861 - 1866

Curator: This exquisite pen box depicts "Shams-i Tabrizi Casting Rumi's Book into the Water," crafted by Abu'l Hasan in the early 17th century. It's tiny, yet the emotional drama seems grand. Editor: It has a certain weight despite its small size, don't you think? I'm curious about the artist's use of lacquer, the technique requires immense layering, skilled labor, and specific resin—making the box far more precious than its function suggests. Curator: Absolutely, and that intense labor mirrors the intensity of the moment captured. The act of destruction—a book tossed into the water—paradoxically birthed some of Rumi’s most profound poetry. It's about relinquishing control, isn't it? Editor: Indeed. And the surrounding floral patterns serve as a reminder that beauty can emerge from chaos. It all adds to the complex history of artisanal creation and what those objects come to represent. Curator: I always feel the presence of Shams when I view it. An eccentric, a catalyst. Editor: And the pen box itself? A vessel for both art and labor, for the sacred and the mundane.