These stylish cufflinks are inspired by the square gold bracteates from the Tillya Tepe collection. The calligraphy is inspired by the following poem by Hafez, a Persian poet widely admired in Afghanistan:
Lost Joseph (From Persian)
"Your lost Joseph will return to Canaan, do not grieve
This house of sorrows will become a garden, do not grieve
Oh grieving heart, you will mend do not despair
This frenzied mind will return to calm, do not grieve
When the spring of life again sets in the meadows
A crown of flowers you will bear, singing bird, do not grieve
If these turning epochs do not move with our will today
The spheres of time are not constant, do not grieve
Lose hope not, for awareness cannot perceive the concealed
Behind the curtains hidden scenes play, do not grieve
Oh heart, should a flood of destruction engulf the world
If Noah is at your helm, do not grieve
As you step through the desert in desire of Ka’aba
The thorns may reproach you, do not grieve
Home may be perilous and destination out of reach
But there are no paths without an end, do not grieve
Our state in separation from friends and with demands of foes
The divine who turns circumstance knows all, do not grieve"
Designed and handmade in London by Sima Vaziry
24ct gold plating on silver
1.7cm in length and 1.5 cm in width