NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Doing all in one - photo essay for those that are not in the UK. British Museum first: Some nice objects, felt like 'Silk Road for beginners', good introduction but I wanted more. Also - only one giant room, basically, and I felt like I wanted to see more Thi

288 pages and 272 illustrations by Sheila R. Canby Sheila Canby is the curator in charge of the Islamic Art Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Previously, she was Curator of Islamic Collections at the British Museum. Her other publications include Persian Painting and The Golden Age of

This is a favourite and much-loved painting so here are some close up images of it I took when I spent ages in front of it at the British Library: enjoy!

Folio from a Khamsa or Quintet of Nizami. Over the heads of the couple appears an invocation to God—”Oh! Opener of Doors!” Calligrapher: Sultan Muhammad Nur (c. 1472 - c. 1536). 16th century painting by Shaikh Zada. Image courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts. The love affair between the I

School of Mahmud Muzahhib, Central Asia, Bukhara, Shaybanid, third quarter 16th century This painting part of a private collection in Switzerland. Image credit: Sotheby's Exhibited: Institute du Monde Arabe, Paris, 2001 In this miniature, a Sultan who, after hearing rumours that one of his chief

Earlier in 2023 the British Library had an exhibition on the subject of Alexander the Great - great for history but also chock full of miniatures, some of which you may recognise. Posted here as it wasn't advertised as a miniature exhibition per se, but if you didn't manage to see it, enjoy all thes

Since 2022's Tinselling class was so enjoyable I am planning more tinselling classes for 2023. Here are the next instalments - the Vizier, Shahzaman and Princess Dunyazad, already pre-approved by the discerning eye of my husband. The sad and worried Vizier, agitated with a finger in his mouth, the s

“Teveccüh” is a group exhibition of Yildiz Palace Classical Turkish Art Centre’s end of a year show that includes students’ and master artists’ works of tazhip, miniature, calligraphy and marbling. I’d like to share some details from this show. Master N. Kurfeyz, S.Saglam Master N. Kurfey

Gold is such an integral part of miniature manuscripts that we can't conceive of them without it. So here are some images, manuscript and otherwise, celebrating this essential element. For those of you who have better images than me ( @Anastasia Doran ? @Susan Dobrian?) and didn't have a toddler-cam

Links to online events: Artists' talk online with Rayan Elnayal, Jean Morris and myself, and my online miniature painting demonstration (free): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artists-in-conversation-reimagining-spaces-and-restoring-lost-histories-tickets-319119463907 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/

The British Library show Medieval Women in their own Words is a must-see if you're in London - if not, here is a photo story below for you to browse! Christine de Pizan is the main woman that springs to mind... top of mind. The City of Ladies - there are others, and they are covered in this show

A.H. 931/A.D. 1524–25 Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Haft Paikar (literally' Seven Portraits') also known as Bahramnameh, is one of the five romantic poems of the Khamsa by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi written in 1197. In the story, Bahram Gur marries seven princesses from th

How Aurangzeb's religious orthodoxy was one of the contributing factors that to a decline in the Mughal painting tradition. This blog by British Library's Malini Roy, Visual Arts Curator looks at depictions of Aurangzeb painted during his lifetime from 1619-1707: https://britishlibrary.typepad.co.u

Artist: Mahmud Musawwir, Safavid period, 1525-1550, H x W: 32.2 x 20.6 cm Detached manuscript folio. Iran, Tabriz or Qazvin Housed in the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian, Washington D.C. Image credit : National Museum of Asian Art To see it up close, zoom in on this link: https://asia.si.edu

زال پهلوان زابلستان Image credit: Lesssing Archive, www.lessingimages.com Zabulistan or simply Zabul, was a historical region in southern Afghanistan, roughly corresponding to the modern provinces of Zabul and Ghazni.

FINISHING SCHOOL I have some time in late July/August on Monday evenings (London time) and I know everyone generally wants to finish paintings. It’s summer and a good time to work hard with lots of buoyant, childlike energy like a solar-powered battery stored up from the sunlight you’ve gathered du

Hello everyone, During the amazing map class with Vaishali, we enjoyed many interesting and curious details. And I would like to share some of the detailed pictures of the map in here. This is the display of the Piri Re’is’ map in Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul. (Room: Library of Ahmed III)

Have a look here: https://www.vaishaliprazmariteaching.com and see you at 8-9pm London time for the Private View tonight, at December 2022's MMM!!

I came across this pdf of a collection of Persian and Indian miniatures. Loads of paintings! https://www.francescagalloway.com/usr/documents/exhibitions/list_of_works_url/34/awny-2018-francesca-gallowaym-res.compressed.pdf

A show in London - there will be some small, and not so small, miniature paintings there... P21 Gallery is proud to present Kalila wa Dimna: Ancient Tales for Troubled Times, a collaborative art exhibition and events programme that brings together academic researchers, artists, curators, and c

Currently showing in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. Also includes my work The Four Friends: A Tale of 4 Heads and 4 Tales. The Inspired from Manuscripts exhibition showcases a profound journey into the timeless beauty of historic Islamic and Arabian manuscripts. Each piece in the exhibition draws

Illuminated by Muḥammad ʿAlī Mashhadī, 1657 one of the most prolific artists of seventeenth-century Iran The poem was written by Muhammad Riza Nau'i (d. 1019 AH / 1610 CE) at the request of Prince Daniyal, son of the great Akbar, not ie long after the death of the latter, around 1506. Sūz va gud

This traditional 16th century painting is by Persian artist Habiballah of Sava. Considered to be one of the best known illustrations in Islamic art, Concourse of the Birds depicts the main story in the original manuscript of Farid al-Din Attar's mystical poem Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds).

Illuinated folio from Shah Tahmasp Shahnameh, Tabriz, Iran circa 1530 -1533 Image credit: The reddit museum Zal was born an albino. Ashamed of his son's appearance, his father, Sam, abandoned him in the mountains where the mythical simurgh makes her home. She took pity on the infant and raised h

http://jeannedepompadour.blogspot.com/2013/01/persian-artminiature-and-painting.html?m=1

TINSELLING THE VIZIER - April Fool's Day 2023 Tinselling Dunyazad: October 2023 Tinselling Shahzaman: November 2023 Tinselling Shahriyar: December 2023

He's trying to prove something to me, I'm trying to prove something to him. It was a revealing day! Studying MSS involves wearing very special glasses. Case bindings. Note stamps above. We looked at a variety of MSS including quite 'average' manuscripts - to see the everyday workings. Th

I keep referring to this manuscript as an example of a giant book - and also during my Water class as it has particularly significant water paintings. Here's some more info and images on this MSS, thanks to @Susan Dobrian who found this: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/HAWRxX7YjiTZJg

The Getty Center website published an article that points out examples of diversity in medieval miniatures: https://www.getty.edu/news/the-black-knight-of-the-round-table/ The article was published on September 1, 2022 by Meg Butler, in conjunction with the Getty's new publication The Fantasy of th

For those of you seeking valuation of your miniature paintings: please read this first https://www.christies.com/features/Collecting-Guide-Persian-Miniature-Paintings-8609-1.aspx