Talking about Beauties

Arif’s caption refers to a conversation about “olive eyes,” a way of describing a beautiful girl or woman in Turkey. Once again his use of a simple line drawing harkens back to his early cartoonist days. But simple it’s not—while their conversation is no doubt manly and nostalgic, their posture and dress are both worn out. They drink tea from traditional tulip glasses. Sunflower seeds, a ubiquitous Turkish treat whose eating can while away the hours, are arranged in the saucers.