Manuscripts from the Safavid capital, such as this copy of Nizami's Khamsa, are notable for their high-quality illumination and bindings. Characteristic of Persian doublures of this period is the contrasting colors of this example: the burgundy of the leather, the blue of the center and corner-pieces, and the gold gilding. Venetian Renaissance gilded leather bindings were particularly influenced by Safavid and Ottoman examples.
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folio 2r (left page of the double page frontispiece).
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
folio 2r (left page of the double page frontispiece).
folio 2r (right page of the double page frontispiece).
Illuminated introductory page to "Makhzan al-Asrar," giving the name of Nizami.
Illuminated introductory page to "Makhzan al-Asrar," giving the name of Nizami.
An old widowed woman complains to Sultan Sanjar of ill-treatment by one of his officers.
Illuminated title-piece to 'Khusrau and Shirin'.
King Khusrau catches sight of Shirin bathing in a pool.
Shirin goes to see the wonderful rock-carvings by the sculptor Farhad, her admirer.
Khusrau comes to the Palace of Shirin as she stands at her balcony window.
Khusrau and Shirin united.
Illuminated title-piece to "Laila wa Majnun".
As children, Laila and Majnun neglect their studies to devote their hearts to each other.
Naufal, the Arab chieftain, champions the cause of the love-distraught Majnun.
An old woman leads in chains the lovelorn Majnun, who has sacrificed himself to free the man whom she had taken prisoner.
The meeting of Laila and Majnun. Both swoon at seeing each other after their long separation.
Bahram Gur saves his crown by killing two lions.
Fitnah, 'Mischief,' climbs a ladder with a cow on her shoulder.
Bahram visits the Princess of the Yellow Palace on Sunday.
Bahram learns a lesson about his unfaithful vizir from an old shepherd who punished his sheep-dog for being unfaithful to the charge of the flock.
Decorative head-piece to the First Section of the Book of Alexander, here called "Sharaf-namah-i-Iskandari". There is no title-piece to teh Second Section (or Iqbal), as the folio that contained it is missing between folios 311 and 312.
Death of Darius III in the presence of Alexander, who then leads to execution the two assassins.
Alexander, disguised as a legate, visits Queen Nushabah, who recognizes him and proves the fact by his portrait.
Alexander's visit to the Khaqan of China.
Alexander learns from a shepherd the gate by which to enter the city.
Alexander consulting the seven wise men.
13.228.6
Artwork Details
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This copy of Nizami's Khamsa, a famous collection of five epic tales, was produced in Shiraz in the early 16th century. Manuscripts from the Safavid capital, such as this one, are notable for their high quality illustrations and bindings.
The inner cover (or doublure) of this binding is elegantly decorated with a central almond-shaped medallion embellished with finials and corner pieces. A spare geometric design in gold is set against a blue background of intricate floral motifs and Chinese clouds. Characteristic of Persian doublures of this period is the contrasting colors: the burgundy of the leather, the blue of the center and corner-pieces, and the gilding. The linear gilding and discrete frames are standard features as well. [1]
Similar techniques of gilding leather bindings appeared in Europe in the 16th century in Cordoba, Spain and Venice, Italy. While the Cordoban school continued the Arabic bookbinding tradition developed in North Africa and Islamic Spain, the Venetian school was more influenced by the Islamic Middle East, and in particular by Ottoman and Safavid examples.[2]
Maria Antonietta Marino in [Carboni 2007]
Footnotes:
1. See Duncan Haldane. Islamic Bookbindings in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London, 1983, pp. 67–136, ex. no. 79 for another example from Shiraz.
2. Anthony Hobson, "Islamic influence on Venetian Renaissance bookbinding", in Venezia e l'Oriente Vicino: Atti del primo simposio sull'arte veneziana e l'arte islamico, Venice, Ateneo Veneto, 1986, pp. 111–17. Ernst J. Grube (ed.) with Stefano Carboni and Giovanni Curatola. Venice 1989.
Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913; gifted to MMA)
Katonah, NY. Katonah Museum of Art. "Islamic Insights: An Introduction to Islamic Art," March 16, 1980–May 25, 1980, no catalogue.
New York. The Hagop Kevorkian Special Exhibitions Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Perfect Page: The Art of Embellishment in Islamic Book Design," May 17–August 18, 1991, no catalogue.
Paris. Institut du Monde Arabe. "Venise et l'Orient," October 2, 2006–February 18, 2007, no. 126.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Venice and the Islamic World, 828–1797," March 27–July 8, 2007, no. 126.
Pesaro. Palazzo Ducale. "Venice and the Islamic World, 828–1797," July 28–November 25, 2007.
Venice. Sala dello Scrutinio of the Doge's Palace. "Venezia e L'Islam, 828–1797," July 28, 2007–November 25, 2007, no. 99.
Jackson, A. V. Williams, and A. Yohannan. Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also some Turkish and Arabic, Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York by Alexander Smith Cochran. Columbia University Indo Iranian Series, vol. 1. New York: Columbia University Press, 1912. no. 7, pp. 53–58, ill. (b/w).
Valentiner, William Reinhold. "The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts." Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin, old series, vol. 8 (1913). pp. 80–86.
Grube, Ernst J. "The Miniatures of Shiraz." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, n.s., vol. 21, no. 9 (May 1963). pp. 294, 295, ill. figs. 8, 9.
Ford, P.R.J. "Six Centries of Design Evolution." In The Persian Carpet Tradition. 2019. p. 120, ill. fig. 133.
Carboni, Stefano, ed. Venice and the Islamic World, 828–1797. New York and New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007. no. 126, pp. 239, 333, ill. p. 239 (color).
Carboni, Stefano, ed. Venezia e l'Islam, 828–1797. Venice: Marsilio Editori, 2007. no. 99, pp. 61, 347, ill. p. 61 (color).
Nizami (present-day Azerbaijan, Ganja 1141–1209 Ganja)
ca. 1620–30
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