Trains of thought:

1.I was researching how carpet merchants dealt with their customers, and I remember reading about haggling – carpets are really expensive (for obvious reasons, not least because of the time and draughtsmanship needed to produce one carpet + profit margin). But if there’s one commonality among humanity, it’s that we all love a good deal…so the customer starts bargaining, but the funny thing (and the part I like) is that the merchant will go ‘YOU INSULT ME!!!’ in regards to the idea of getting haggled, and the customer will retort back ‘NO!!! YOU INSULT ME!!!!’ in regards to the idea that they may be getting swindled. So the conversation goes back and forth in this sort of brusque manner until they both come to an agreement. I suppose the same thing would be happening in between these two pages; just the idea of Zeynel shouting (not genuinely, but because it’s what he’s taught to do as a carpet merchant) and going on a ‘Pawn Stars’-esque battle is hilarious.

2. The client usually visits more than 2 or 3 shops during their visit and will take time thinking about what carpet they like amongst all of them, before returning to the shop selling said carpet; it’s like finding a spouse, lol, but it shows how serious this carpet dealing thing is.

3. Unfortunately my research couldn’t scrounge up the price of carpets in whatever was the predecessor of the modern lira circa 1680s, so I had to use something else that’s really valuable as barter. Sheep are really pricey – they make food and most importantly, especially in Zeynel’s line of work, they make WOOL.

4. Horses are hell to draw. I really like how the old Persian and Ottoman artists drew horses though. It’s so appealing.