COVE

Barbara Black argues in On Exhibit: Victorians and Their Museums that the Rubáiyát is in large part appropriated from Persian culture and has been Orientalized. “This poem’s value becomes inseparable from its pretty, crafted, possessable diminutiveness. Khayyám’s verse remains entrenched in the categorically Oriental, in the land of seers and Eastern serenity” (Black 61).  Black does a deep dive into several examples of text, the best example is the change from the original text “roof-top of the world” into “The Sultan’s Turret”. This supports one of Black’s arguments, “Non-English yet so English, not foreign yet so exotic,” (Black 64). While this particular gift book has few Oriental features, I think it fits into Black’s argument quite nicely. It has just enough “non-English” features to draw in a reader, but stays just familiar enough to keep them in. For example, the title page uses a stylized Oriental font, which is followed by a scholarly introduction. While it does fit into Black’s argument, I would hesitate to go as far as to say this particular edition is using its appropriation of Persian culture and Orientalism to proclaim some sort of superiority or inferiority of any particular culture.

This book occupies an unusual space among this collection. It is unlike many other editions. There is little that makes it stand out, other than its small golden title and border around said title. Inside the book, there is again little other than the text of the Rubáiyát, some illustrations, an introduction, and a stylized title page. This edition, I believe, would’ve been a gift book for those of modest income. Because of its normal looks and modest nature mixed with its few Oriental aspects, I think it can fit neatly into Black’s argument. The few Oriental parts present, I believe, were meant to garner the interest of a reader or buyer, and our non-Oriental parts were meant to give a familiarity that would keep a reader or buyer interested.

Regarding how this book is Orientalist and appropriates Persian culture, the first thing that stands out is the title page (see Fig. 1). Its stylized nature is out of place compared to the rest of the book. It’s oddly juxtaposed against the introduction. The introduction is more of an exploration into the reasons FitzGerald wrote and some background information. It is more akin to a scholarly examination of the text.  This works well to introduce some familiarity to the exotic that's shown. I think it is one of the elements that falls under being Orientalists, as it could only be used for its superficial beauty to draw in a reader, or more likely, someone to purchase it as a gift. 

The illustrations are one of those areas that I think fit mostly into Black’s arguments. They, for the most part, are superficial and are meant to beautify the pages they are on. They have a Persian style to them, likely to draw in a reader or someone to purchase this book to gift it. The illustrations that are seen in the book are a reflection of the text. They do not add or remove, they just depict the subject matter in question. Take, for instance, the illustration that accompanies stanza eleven (see Fig. 2). The illustrator has done a fantastic job of depicting the scene of stanza eleven, and does so without degrading Persian culture or promoting Western ideals. While the illustrations are quite nice, they aren’t trying to be extravagant, and this is an idea I believe much of this edition follows. It tries to limit itself in its appropriations and exoticism. Another example is this image, found in the second edition of FitzGerald’s translation, and depicts verse thirty-nine (See Fig. 3). This image is another example of how the subject matter is reflected in the illustration with no extra flair. There is nothing exotic here, a man shaping clay, with various ornate vases around. The illustrator, I believe, was not trying to romanticize the exotic, but trying to make it familiar to the reader, and all while depicting the stanzas as FitzGerald has written them

Some features of this edition could be interpreted as appropriating or objectifying Persian culture. But this edition is trying to strike a delicate balance. One where it uses the exotic, the Oriental, to pull in a reader and then hits them with the familiar to keep them reading. It is trying to use Orientalism in a good way, to engage readers, not to create a power dynamic between two different cultures or mystify the East. That alone, I believe, sets it apart from most other gift books of the Rubáiyát.   

Citations: 

Khayyám, Omar. Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Edited by G. F. Maine. Translated by Edward FitzGerald, Collins. 

Black, Barbara J. On Exhibit: Victorians and Their Museums. University Press of Virginia, 2000.