The Cypress Tree is a metaphor frequently encountered in the poetic and visual arts of Islam. This interpretation refers to the Safavid and Mughal miniature paintings where the cypress tree often plays a discreet part in a complex illustrated narrative. Traditionally entwined by blossom or a flowering vine, their meeting can symbolise The Union - perhaps of the Lover with the Beloved, the student and Sufi teacher or  the feminine embracing the masculine.