Saadi of Shiraz wrote the Golestan and the Bustan, two of the most quoted books in the Persian language. This collection sets his lines — mostly on love, closeness and human kindness — into contemporary canvas compositions in nastaliq calligraphy.
The poetry behind the collection
Saadi (c. 1210–1291) spent decades travelling before returning to Shiraz and producing the two works he is known for. The Golestan mixes prose and verse into short moral stories; the Bustan is written entirely in verse. What sets him apart from Hafez and Rumi is register: Saadi writes plainly, often about ordinary human situations, and much of his work has passed into everyday Persian speech as proverb. His best-known lines — among them Bani Adam, on the shared body of humankind — are quoted by Persian speakers who have never opened the books.
Styles in this collection
The pieces here range from pure calligraphy through to portrait compositions and Qajar-inspired figures. Palettes run across red, green, silver and gold. Several works place a single line at the centre of a woman's portrait, so the verse and the figure read as one shape.
Choosing a piece
Because Saadi's subject matter is warmer and more direct than the mystical registers of Rumi and Hafez, these pieces suit rooms meant for company — a dining area, a living room, a hallway that guests pass through. Every piece is printed to order, gallery-wrapped over a wooden frame, and arrives ready to hang.
Questions
Who was Saadi?A thirteenth-century Persian poet from Shiraz, author of the Golestan and the Bustan, and one of the most widely quoted writers in the language.
How is he different from Hafez?Both are from Shiraz, but Saadi writes more plainly and more often about everyday human conduct, where Hafez works in layered ambiguity.
Is the Persian text a real verse?Yes. Every piece carries an actual line from Saadi in the original Persian script.
