This piece features a glass of wine, illustrated using four lines taken from one of the “Khamriyyat” of Abu Nuwas. Born in 756 in what is now Iran, Abu Nuwas became one of the most famous Arab poets for his poems about religion, women, wine and debauchery. He's credited for influencing many of the famous Arab and Persian poets, most notably including Hafez and Omar Khayyam. A debaucherous caricature of him was a prominent character in “One Thousand and One Nights”. This piece was featured on the cover of Alex Rowell's translation of several of Abu Nuwas' peoms entitled “Vintage Humour”, Hurst Publishers 2017. Mr Rowell's translation of these lines reads as follows:

Give back my glass, for you two
Do not grasp its utility
You've tried to make me fear Allah
But my fear's offset by His mercy
Rebuke not the wine, for you know
Not what it brings devotees
If it gave you what it gives me, you'd
Mix it with tears of ecstasy

Dimensions: 70 by 40cm
Year: 2017

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