The Illumination Art of Shāhnāma-i Firdawsi’s Copy in the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
Öz
The art of illumination has continued to evolve across various regions over centuries, adopting different stylistic characteristics. One of the key centers where the development of illumination can be traced and where works were produced over an extended period is the city of Shiraz, located in the Persian administrative region. This city, which served as the capital for two dynasties in the 14th century, produced a large number of works up until the late 16th century. Particularly during the 16th century, when Shiraz was governed by the Zu’lqadir governors, it became a hub for commercial production, with many works created on diverse subjects. Among the most requested pieces from this artistic center were literary books, especially those containing the Persian classics. The Shāhnāma manuscripts, which recount the epic and legends of Iran, were the most in-demand. The high demand for this work, particularly in the latter half of the century, led to its preparation with illuminated decorations. This study aims to examine and evaluate the work named Shāhnāma-i Firdawsī, which has been the subject of many previous studies with its different features, in terms of illumination art through a sample manuscript. The subject of this study is the illuminations of the copy of Shāhnāma-i Firdawsī with TİEM 1983 inventory number, which is found in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.
Anahtar Kelimeler
The Illumination Art of Shāhnāma-i Firdawsi’s Copy in the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
Abstract
The art of illumination has continued to evolve across various regions over centuries, adopting different stylistic characteristics. One of the key centers where the development of illumination can be traced and where works were produced over an extended period is the city of Shiraz, located in the Persian administrative region. This city, which served as the capital for two dynasties in the 14th century, produced a large number of works up until the late 16th century. Particularly during the 16th century, when Shiraz was governed by the Zu’lqadir governors, it became a hub for commercial production, with many works created on diverse subjects. Among the most requested pieces from this artistic center were literary books, especially those containing the Persian classics. The Shāhnāma manuscripts, which recount the epic and legends of Iran, were the most in-demand. The high demand for this work, particularly in the latter half of the century, led to its preparation with illuminated decorations. This study aims to examine and evaluate the work named Shāhnāma-i Firdawsī, which has been the subject of many previous studies with its different features, in terms of illumination art through a sample manuscript. The subject of this study is the illuminations of the copy of Shāhnāma-i Firdawsī with TİEM 1983 inventory number, which is found in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.
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