Table of Contents
Portrait of the Báb
Note: How this portrait was made and how it eventually, years later, got to the Bahá’í World Centre is described in Balyuzí The Báb, Chapter 11, p138-139 as follows: “From now on the Governor’s residence was thronged daily by people who wished to meet the Báb or just to catch a glimpse of Him. During this time, Áqá-Bálá Big, the Naqqásh-Báshí [Chief Painter] made a portrait of the Báb … Áqá-Bálá Big was a native of Shíshván, a village on the banks of Lake Urúmíyyih. Like scores of others, he was attracted to Government House to see the Báb. Years later he related his experience to Varqá, the Bahá’í martyr-poet. He had noticed that as soon as the Báb’s eyes alighted on him, He arranged His ‘abá neatly and looked at him intently. This happened again the next day, and Áqá-Bálá Big realized that the Báb was giving him a sign that he might draw His portrait. The painter made a rough sketch there and then. Later, he composed the portrait in black and white. When Varqá informed Bahá’u’lláh of this, he was instructed to ask the painter to make two copies of the portrait in water colour, one to be sent to the Holy Land and one to be kept by Varqá himself. The copy taken to the Holy Land is in the International Archives of the Bahá’í Faith. The copy which the martyr-poet held was among his possessions, looted at the time of his arrest. The original black and white portrait was discovered years later by Siyyid Asadu’llah-i-Qumí, who conveyed it to the Holy Land and presented it to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.”
Tabríz: The Báb’s arrival