Introduction:This study examines the Timurid miniature depicting the appeal of a ruler and his vizier to a mystic elder in Mahr and Moshtari by Shams al-Din Muhammad Assar Tabrizi (Ms. W.627, Walters Art Museum). Rather than approaching the image as a simple illustration of a literary narrative, the research interprets it as a visual text embedded in the political, spiritual, and cultural context of the Timurid period. The study explores how concepts of legitimacy, authority, and spirituality are constructed through visual representation.

Methods:The research adopts a qualitative and descriptive-analytical approach based on Erwin Panofsky’s iconological framework. The miniature was analyzed at three levels: pre-iconographic description, iconographic analysis, and iconological interpretation. Visual data from the manuscript were examined alongside historical, literary, and art-historical sources. Formal elements such as composition, color, gestures, and spatial organization were identified and interpreted in relation to Persian literary traditions, Sufi symbolism, and Timurid political culture.

Results:The findings reveal that the painting is organized around a symbolic relationship between political and spiritual authority. The ruler’s gestures of humility toward the mystic elder indicate that temporal power seeks validation through spiritual endorsement. Hierarchical composition, directional gazes, and symbolic objects reinforce this relationship. The mystic elder emerges as a mediator of divine blessing and moral authority, while elements such as bread symbolize spiritual nourishment and grace. Consequently, the miniature presents sovereignty as dependent upon metaphysical legitimacy rather than political power alone.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the miniature functions as more than a narrative illustration; it serves as a visual articulation of Timurid ideological discourse. By integrating political symbolism with Sufi concepts, the painting constructs a model of legitimacy grounded in the interaction between kingship and spiritual authority. Panofsky’s iconological method reveals how visual forms communicate deeper cultural meanings, making the artwork a significant expression of Timurid political and religious thought.