This splendid copy of the story of Laila and Majnun by the twelfth-century Persian poet Nizami was commissioned by one of the most discerning of patrons, the Timurid prince Baisunghur. The colophon states that it was made in Herat (the Timurid capital, now in Afghanistan) in A.H. 835 (1432 A.D.) and copied by Ja^cfar, a celebrated calligrapher in charge of the royal atelier. The manuscript contains one magnificent miniature (two others are in a private collection and one is missing) of Laila and Majnun at School. The painting, which spreads from the usual confines of the text into the margin, shows a domed building with a minaret—a madrasa, or religious school, where the star-crossed lovers, children of Arab tribal chiefs, first meet. The salmon-colored bricks and the intricate decoration reflect both the illuminated opening pages of the manuscript and the brick and tile work of eastern Iranian buildings. The schoolroom floor is covered with an unusual multiple-niche prayer rug (sajada). The girls and boys are separated, except for Laila and Majnun, who sit at the back. The teacher listens to a pupil in the center of the room, while a latecomer tries to slip in unnoticed.

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