While shaving the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid (d. 809) in the bathhouse, a barber impertinently professed his love for the ruler’s daughter and asked to marry her. Astounded at the barber’s audacity, the caliph consulted his vizier, who speculated that the barber might have been standing atop a treasure, which would generate inordinate confidence in any man. The next day, the vizier suggested, the caliph should choose another spot in the bathhouse and observe the barber’s behavior. S...| harvardartmuseums.org