The Abbasid artist, Yahya Al-Wasiti, who probably lived in Baghdad in the late Abassid era (12th to 13th-centuries), was one of the pre-eminent exponents of the Baghdad school. In 1236-37, he is known to have transcribed and illustrated the book, Maqamat (also known as the Assemblies or the Sessions), a series of anecdotes of social satire written by Al-Hariri of Basra.
The narrative concerns the travels of a middle-aged man as he uses his charm and eloquence to swindle his way across the Arabic world.