"Paradise" is derived from the Old Iranian word "pairidaeza", meaning park or enclosure, a 'garden oasis' to be enjoyed, as in this Safavid miniature, alone:
The hoopoe brings King Solomon's message to Bilqis, Queen of Sheba
Iran, c.1590-1600 © Trustees of the British Museum
or in these Iranian tile panels, in company:
Wall panels from the royal garden pavilions of the Chahar Bagh, Isfahan 1600-1625
(the men with hats are probably European merchants)
© Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
© Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
A contemporary large tile panel can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum, showing similar interchangeable figures and patterns and Chinese derived cloud border.
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