Illustrations

IN COLOUR Bijen in the Well Frontispiece Hazrat Ali slays Marhab Face page 15 Laila and Majnun „ 34 Shaykh Sinan meets the Christian Maiden „ 42 IN BLACK AND WHITE PAGE From a Kerman Carpet (Headpiece) v From a Kerman Shawl (Headpiece) vii From an Earthenware Water Pipe (Tailpiece) x From an Old Ivory Dagger-Hilt (Headpiece) xi From a Copper Lantern (Headpiece) xii „ „ „ (Tailpiece) xiv From Lustred Pottery (Headpiece) 1 Mohamed Ismail Khan, the Vakil-ul-Mulk 5 The Mahun Shrine 9 A Design from Old Pottery (Tailpiece) 16 From a Carpet (Headpiece) 17 Sirdar Husein Khan and his Family 27 The Fort of the Rebel Baluch 29 p. viii PAGE Head, from a Birjand Carpet (Tailpiece) 33 From a Tile of the Fourteenth Century (Headpiece) 34 The Garden at Mahun 35 Shaykh Ahmad 45 From an Old Tile (Tailpiece) 49 From a Bronze Mirror (Headpiece) 50 The Governor's Falcons 52 The "White Fort" 55 The Stone Pulpit of the "White Fort" 56 A Persian Salt Swamp 60 From an Old Vase (Tailpiece) 64 From Old Needlework (Headpiece) 65 A Persian Wedding 73 From a Sasanian Brass Bowl (Tailpiece) 82 From an Old Brass Tray (Headpiece) 83 The Fort of Ardeshir 86 A Parsi Gardener 87 A Persian Band 89 A Kerman Carpet and its Owner 91 Plan of the Meshed Shrine Face page 101 Design from an Old Brass Tray (Tailpiece)

Design from an Old Brass Tray (Tailpiece) 101 From an Earthenware Water Pipe (Headpiece) 102 Mirza Hasan Khan, Mustaufi 109 The Mullah 112 From the Sheath of a Dagger (Tailpiece) 118 From an Enamelled Box (Headpiece) 119 In the Jabal Bariz 125 Gipsy Musicians 133 From an Old Brass Tray (Tailpiece) 137 From a Carpet (Headpiece) 138 p. ix PAGE The Dervish at No Ruz 140 The Shah's Wrestler 153 Detail from a Kerman Carpet (Tailpiece) 160 Quotation from Hafiz (Headpiece) 161 Mahmud Khan 167 Detail from a Kerman Carpet (Tailpiece) 176 From a Nomad Carpet (Headpiece) 177 The Koran Stand at Anar 182 Yezd and its Wind Towers 186 From an enamelled Box (Headpiece) 191 Leaders of the Muharram Procession 195 The Muharram at Yezd 199 The Caravanserai at Rizab 208 Gholam Ali, "Cut Hand" 209 A Meshed Banker 211 From Lustred Pottery (Headpiece) 214 Baluch Nomads 222 Turbat-i-Heideri 225 The "Lower Avenue," Meshed 231 From a Turkoman Carpet (Headpiece) 234 The Imam taking the Poisoned Grapes from the Caliph 235 The "Old Court," showing Nadir's Fountain in the foreground 241 The Golden Porch of Nadir Shah 245 The Tomb Chamber 251 The Golden Door at the Foot of the Tomb 255 From a Metal Lantern (Headpiece) 258 Mirza Hasan Ali, the Poet 259 The Mosque of Gauhar Shad Aga 263 p. x PAGE In the Kuhpaia District 273 From an Earthenware Water Pipe (Tailpiece) 277 The Seal of the Imam Riza 278 From a Lacquered Pen Box (Headpiece) 279 Note.—The headpieces and other designs are drawn by Miss E. R. SYKES, from objects in Major SYKES'S collection.