They were the darlings I’d lovingly trained since their apprenticeships； my
three beloved talents： Olive； Butterfly and Stork。
Discussing their talents； mastery and temperaments to the end of finding
the clue we were looking for inevitably led to a discussion of my own life as
well：
The Attributes of Olive
His given name was Velijan。 If he had a nickname besides the one I’d given
him； I don’t know it； because I never saw him sign any of his work。 When he
was an apprentice； he’d e get me from my home on Tuesday mornings。 He
was very proud； and so if he ever lowered himself to sign his work； he’d want
this signature to be plain and recognizable； he wouldn’t try to conceal it
anywhere。 Allah had quite generously endowed him with excess ability。 He
could readily and easily do anything from gilding to ruling and his work was
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superb。 He was the workshop’s most brilliant creator of trees； animals and the
human face。 Velijan’s father； who brought him to Istanbul when he was； I
believe； ten years old； was trained by Siyavush； the famous illustrator
specializing in faces in the Persian Shah’s Tabriz workshop。 He hails from a
long line of masters whose genealogy goes back to the Mongols； and just like
the elderly masters who bore a Mongol…Chinese influence and settled in
Samarkand； Bukhara and Herat 150 years ago； he rendered moon…faced young
lovers as if they were Chinese。 Neither during his apprenticeship nor during
his time as a master was I able to lead this stubborn artist to other styles。 How
I would’ve like