Miniature Paintings
Miniature art is one of the traditional arts in Islamic countries. Miniatures are small artistic pictures that clarify literary, scientific, social or other content that occupied manuscripts in the Middle Ages. Miniatures are considered as documentary images of life, environment, traditions, beliefs, rituals, historical events, architecture, uniforms and arts. In addition in its artistic value that has evolved through history, miniatures gave us the opportunity to identify the Muslim and Arab communities in that period. Therefore, they are considered very important historical documents.
Kalila and Dimna
The book “Kalila and Dimna” received wide attention since its translation into Arabic in 2nd c. AH by Abdullah ibn al-Muqaffa. It gained the attention of officials who sought to learn negotiation and political skills, as well as readers who enjoyed the fun storytelling. This is evidenced by the large number of copies made over the years, in countries all over the world.
Kalila and Dimna
Translated by Ibn Al-Muqaffa (d.142 AH/759 AD)
Copied in Baghdad in 747 AH/1346 AD
This is the second oldest copy in the world of Kalila wa Dimna; It contains 65 miniatures painted in the Baghdad style.
Replica of the “Man digging for treasure” Miniature
Translated by Ibn Al-Muqaffa’(d. 142 AH/759 AD)
Copied in Baghdad in 747 AH/1346 AD
This miniature painting is characterized by its depiction of movement and characters, and the variety of colors.
Replica of” Burzoy treating a patient” Miniature
Translated by Ibn Al-Muqaffa’ (d.142 AH/759 AD)
Copied in Baghdad in 747 AH/1346 AD
This miniature depicts the doctor Burzoy treating patients who have lined up awaiting his care.
Replica of “The king sleeping” Miniature from Kalila and Dimna
Translated by Ibn Al-Muqaffa’ d. 142 AH/759 AD
Copied in Baghdad in 747 AH/1346 AD
This miniature shows the King sleeping and dreaming of animals; which he later asked the Brahmins to interpret.
Miniatures Schools
There are several schools of miniature painting, the Baghdadi school, the Ilkhanid school, the Timurid school, the Safavid school, the Mamluk school, the Ottoman school, and the contemporary school. Each of these has unique features that map the development of miniature painting in the Islamic world. Artisans worked diligently in this craft, which some believe is ‘born from Chinese painting’ because many artistic elements reflect Mongolian weapons, customs, traditions and environment. This influence remained for some time, but gradually diminished under local influences.
Conference of the Birds
By Farid ud-din Attar d.627 AH
Copied in Persia in 869 AH/1465 AD
This manuscript is illuminated and gilded, and contains, 12 miniature paintings.
Sharh Al-Asbab Wal-Alamat
By Nafis bin Awad bin Hakim, d.841 AH/1438 AD
Copied in Persia in the 11 c. AH/17 c. AD
Nafis bin Awad was the doctor of Sultan Olegh Bekh; he studied at Kerman then moved to Samarkand. This manuscript contains brightly colored Ilkhanid miniatures.
Miniature from Dala’il al-Khyarat
By Muhammad Bin Suleiman Al-Jazuli, d. 870 AH/1465 AD
Copied in Turkey in the 12 c. AH/18 c. AD
The pages are framed with gold borders; the first page has an illuminated Ottoman header.
Miniature from Dala’il al-Khayrat
By Muhhamad Bin Suleiman Al-Jazuli, d. 870 AH/1465 AD
Copied in India in the 13 c. AH/19c. AD
This manuscript an illuminated depiction of the two holy mosques, and the pages are framed with gold borders.
Miniature from Dala’ il al-Khayrat
By Muhammad Bin Suleiman Al-Jazuli, d. 870 AH/1465 AD
Copied in India in the 12 c. AH/18 c. AD
This manuscript contains an illuminated depiction of the holy mosques, and the names and the description of their landmarks.
Types of Islamic Manuscripts
There are two types of miniature painting in Islamic manuscripts: the first adorn literary book, and the second illustrates scientific texts. By their nature, many scientific books contain purely representative images that leave no room for artistic creativity such as botanical, geographical and engineering texts. However, other scientific books include images that can be valued within an artistic framework in addition to their scientific importance, and perhaps this is partly due to the inclusion of drawings of humans and animals. One of the most famous scientific books containing miniatures is “Aja’ib Al-Makhluqat wa Ghara’ib Al-Mawjudat’ by Qazwini, which is a book of cosmography.
Aja’ib al-Hayawan
Copied in India in 1311 AH/1893 AD
The pages of this copy are framed with gold and illuminated with drawings of animals; each section begins with a gilded Persian style header.
Aja’ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara’ib al-Mawjudat
By Zakaria bin Muhammad Al-Qazwini, d. 682 AH/1283 AD
Copied in Persia in the 12 c. AH/18 c. AD
The first two pages of this copy contain a Persian frontispiece that is gilded and adorned with colorful roses. There are various miniatures throughout the text.
Manuscripts in Persian literature
The manuscripts of the five books held a great status in the Persian literature. It was considered an important pillar of Persian literature and poetry. It was widely spread in the life of the poet Nizami al-Kanjawi (6th century AH/12 AD). He was an adult poet, originally from the city of Konja in Azerbaijan. Given the His style of the poet who poetry makes the reader imagine events. And His poetry consists of a collection of poems in the manner of Muthnawi, and consist of five multi-purpose poetry systems, such as dealing with the need to make for good ethics, such as the system of the store secrets, and some of the nature of the stories such as the likes of Khosro and Sherin, and the system of Leila and the crazy, and other characters of fiction such as Hufft Baker, Spirited or historical as the system of Alexander Nadama.
Miniature from Nizami’s Khamsa
Written by Jamal Al-Din Ilyas, d. 596 AH/1199 AD
Copied in Azerbaijan in the 9 c. AH/15 c. AD
This manuscript contains 3 of the 5 poems: Haft Peykar, Eskandanderma, Khusrow and Shirin.
Miniature from Majnun Laila
Written By Jamal al-Din Ilyas, known as Nizami, d. 596 AH/ 1199 AD
Copied in Persia in the 12 c. AH /18 AD
It is one of his five Symmetrical, this version includes colorful miniatures.
Miniature Painting in Persian Manuscripts
Miniature painting was popularized in Persian literary manuscripts intended from the royal court during the Ilkhanid era. The art developed by virtue of many artists, most of whom were Persian, including most famously the artist Behzad, who illustrated many books including the Shahnama by Al-Ferdowsi. Note the different compositions of miniatures on the pages some are drawn within the rectangular text frame, while others do not conform to the frame.
Miniature from Shahnama
Written by Al-Hassan bin Ishaq Al-Ferdowsi, d. 416 AH/1025 AD
Copied in Persia during the 13 c. AH/19 c. AD
The Shahnama is the biggest Persian historical and literary epic. It was dedicated by Ferdowsi to Sultan Mahmoud bin Sobaktakien Al-Ghaznawy.
Miniature from Shahnama
Written by Al-hassan bin Ishaq Al-Ferdowsi, d. 416 AH/1025 AD
Copied in India during the 13 c. AH/19 c. AD
The pages are framed with gold, and a frontispiece at beginning that is gilded and adorned with floral patterns.