My Notes on Persian
Miniatures
Years ago I started
translating La Miniature En Orient to English. Not for any great reason
in fact I was translating the French translation of a German book. I
thought it would be fun to work a little on my French while looking at
Persian Miniatures. I also could not find the book in English or German
and I wanted to read it.
Notes on
Islamic Art
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Hamzanama
The Master Spy Escapes Circa 1570
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Drop Down Flowers in
16th Century Persian Art
The Plates of La Miniature En
Orient
Mu'in Musavvir's Youth
Playing a Flute
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Persia
Portrait
of a Kneeling Youth, Isfahan Persia Early 17th Century
Dragon,
Ibex, and Lion with a Man, Isfahan Persia Early 17th Century
Mu'in
Musavvir's Youth Playing a Flute dated 1676
Mu'in
Musavvir Fountain of Life, Isfahan Persia Circa 1648-9
Shah
Abbas and Mughal ambassador Khan Alam in 1618, Persia, Isfahan
Leaf
of Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp by Aqa Mirak
Painted from 1635 to 1697
Farhad, Massumeh. "An Artist's Impression:
Mu'in Musawir's Tiger Attacking a Youth." Muqarnas 9 (1992): 116-23.
A
Portrait of an Amorus Couple by Muhammad Sadiq, Zand Persia Dated A.H.
1202/A.D. 1787
Napolean
Bonaparte Zand or Qajar by Mirza Reza Ibn Mohammad Ali Ashtiani 1792 or
1802
Sotheby's
Fath Ali Shah signed by Ahmad, Persia, dated A.H.1226/A.D.1811
Sotheby's
Nadir Shah Afshar, signed by Mirza Jani. A.D.1779
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Mamluk
Miscellaneous Footnote Entries:
- Christie's 14th
C Fars CandlestickChristie's
Manijeh and Bijan, Shahnameh Shiraz, circa 1520-30
- Pastoral Scene
Shiraz circa 1550 - 1560Sotheby's
Rustam killing the White Div, Shiraz, c.1560
- Fete Champetre
Shiraz circa 1575 Shiraz Edge Tiles
-
- A youth
talking with a man. Shiraz Circa 1560
- Iskandar and
Nushabeh. Shiraz Circa 1560
- Solomon Enthroned,
Shiraz, circa 1580 -1590
- Rustem meeting Kay
Qubad Shiraz, 1560-70
-
-
- "Coronation of
Soltan Hosayn Mirza Bayqara" Attributed to Mansur, Herat circa 1469
- "The Traveler and
the Dervish" possibly by Hajji Muhammad, Herat 1486.
- Execution Before a
King by Bihzad Herat circa 1510
- Encampment with
Camels Herat circa 1600
-
-
- Bahram
Conquers The Monster Tabriz Early 15th
- Sotheby's 15th
century Turkman Wolves
- "Big Head"
Fariburz and Kay Khusrau Turkmen Court Style, dated 1494 for
Sultan Ali Mirza of Gazan (reigned 1478 - 1504)
- Prince Drinking
Wine. Tabriz Circa 1520
- Youth and Old
Age Tabriz circa 1530
- The Jewel-tree
attributed to the artist Dust Muhammad Tabriz circa 1530 from
the Welch/Dickson Shah-Nameh
-
-
- Classical Persian
Instruments
-
-
- Dragon &
Horseman - Sadiqi Beg (?) in the late 16th or early 17th century
-
- Cover of a late
16th Century Qazvin Manuscript
- Iskandar lassos
the Blue Div Qazvin dated 1593
- Sotheby's
Portrait of a reclining youth in a landscape, Isfahan (?) 1600
-
Bukhara
Sorting out Kabul and Khorasan in the third Quarter 16th
Century
Odds and ends
Christie's Early
Islamic Silver Jug Probably Sogdian circa 8th-10th century
Timurid or earlier
jade cup Sotheby's
The
Emperor Qianlong's Hindustan (Mughal) Jade Drinking Vessel
Sotheby's A Safavid
copper basin dt. 1662-3
Sotheby's A Safavid
tinned-copper basin dt. 1603-04
Animal dish,
Transoxiana, Circa 10th Century
Reza 'Abbasi Figure
with Animals in Margin
A Vision Of Angels
Abdullah at the
court in Kabul?
Guide The Sleep of
Rustam, La Miniature En Orient by Ernst Kuhnel 1925 Persian Oriental
Rugs and Carpets by Barry O'Connell,Spongobongo.com
Keir Collection
"Hawking Party"
The Turkmen Prisoner
Farrukh Beg 1590 - 1600
La Miniature En
Orient Plate 64: The Officer's Portrait
Shiraz Hunting Scene,
Circa 1580
The Bahari Lacquer
Bookcover Shiraz circa 1575
Tabriz Bookcover
circa 1540
Cover of a late 16th
Century Qazvin Manuscript
Small Silk Kashan (?)
Mughal Elephants In
Battle c.1595-1600
Islamic Art: Mughal
Portrait of a courtier Early 17th
Islamic Miniature
Art: Hamzanama Khaja Umar the master spy and friend of Amir Hamza
Persian Miniature
Art: 15th century Turkmen Wolves Sotheby's
Islamic
Art: 2 Dome of the Rock Tiles Circa 1550 lot 47
In 1922 Ernst Kuhnel wrote a book called
"Miniaturmalerei im Islamischen Orient" published in Berlin by
Cassirer. In about 1925 the book was translated into French by Paul
Budry and called "La Miniature En Orient". In 1998 I was reading the
French edition and a thought occurred to me. Why not take the pictures
and commentary and publish them on RugNotes, I thought. This would
serve two purposes, it would force me to polish, refine and articulate
my thoughts on Islamic Miniatures and it would also offer an ideal
opportunity to polish up my French. This is a learning experience for
me and doubtlessly I will make mistakes before this is all finished but
hopefully I can learn from them.
Just repeating an old book even one by a great scholar
like Kuhnel seems to be of limited value so I decided to annotate my
thoughts comments and discussion as Translators Notes. Every thing
above the Translators notes is from Kuhnel and from where it says
"Translators Notes" on is from me. I am trying to use a combination of
text and pictures to comment on Kuhnel's attributions and then to show
where various other writers have agreed or disagreed and how I agree or
disagree.
I am treating each of the 154 plates as a chapter and am
posting them in no particular order. When I finish one then I look for
the next. It may be an odd way to approach such a project but I am
having fun. Additionally as I see the need I will include related
pieces if I think they add to the discussion.
For Further Reading:
Thanks and best wishes,
J. Barry O'Connell Jr.
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