Salvete Omnes,
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| detail from Shahnama Ad 1525 |
We are in la Semana Santa (Holly Week) leading to Jesus Christ Great Friday Crucifixion, and then the pinnacle of Christianity - the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
There is also the illegal war in western Asia, US & Israel bombing Iran and Iran sending missiles and drones against the American and Israeli assets... Awfully dangerous conflict, that could lead to the nuclear world war III. There is also war against Christians, war in Ukraine (Russian aggression against the Ukrainian state).
Ad rem, the title of this post is the Latin name for a Caucasian leopard, the Western Asia- Southern Europe subspecies of the great cat. Here about the cat in present day Armenia. eg Pakistan here,
while looking at the Ilkhanid, Timurid, Safavid and Ottoman miniature illuminations we often see light spotted skins worn by heroes and warriors or soldiers.
I think the many of these leopard skins in these paintings were made from the hides of the Panthera Tulliana leopard.
. the hero of Shahnameh
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| Rustam astride Rakhsh in his leopard hat and tiger fur kaftan |
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| Rustam in his leopard hat, tiger coat/kaftan and his brave horse Rahksh |
even horses were covered in these pelts
Turkish Deli
from Raalamb Costume book - Ottoman Turkish soldiers Janissary Corps
Georgian warrior in Rusatvelli's Knight in a Panther Skin
finally our Polish and Hungarian hussars who adopted the leopard hides as part of their panoply
