Sufi mystic painting, tekke levha, Ottoman Empire, early 20th century Gouache and ink on cardboard depicting a monumental calligraphic element composed of the two Arabic letters alif and ha, with two eyes appearing between the curls of the ha and pouring out large tears that feed a river flowing towards the bottom of the composition. Elements set in a desert, palm trees in the foreground, mountains similar to two flaming volcanoes in the background. River of tears inscribed with two lines of verse from a famous poem by the Ottoman writer Shaykh Üftade (1490-1580). The large cartouche at the bottom of the composition is also inscribed with Turkish poetry. Frame. Sight size: 29.6 x 27.4 cm Slight wear and discrete repaints. Bibliography : Malik Aksel, Religious pictures in Turkish Art, Istanbul, 1967, pp. 135-140. A tekke levha is a movable calligraphy panel attached to an Ottoman Sufi establishment. This gouache is a highly symbolic work: the "weeping" calligraphy expresses the pain and sorrow that the mystic may feel when seeking to reach God, knowing that he cannot claim perfect unity. The twelve volcanoes symbolize the twelve imams of Shiite Islam and Sufi traditions.