Rowshan Nemazee will be on Sabbatical leave for the academic spring semester of 2021

An Object of Affection

There is something about myths and stories of the past that I find thoroughly intriguing. As Persian legend has it, tear catchers were used by women - abandoned damsels, widows and concubines - to capture the evidence of their grief. My mother left Iran during the revolution with this one carefully tucked away in her luggage. Silence and stillness may permeate its graceful shape and blueness, yet it offers up so many layers of meaning, including the multitude of emotions that define our humanity. After all, tears are not simply spilled during moments of sadness, but in times of joy, tenderness, awe and compassion.