Bards and Bookmakers
This space is a celebration and exploration of illumination and poetry in medieval Persia. Persia in the Middle Ages (mainly modern day Iran and Afghanistan) had great mathematical and philosophical advancements. At around 650 CE, Persia started getting shipments of paper from China. Although a better alternative than pricey vellum, it was still reserved for only state or important documents because of its rarity. As it got more common, many advancements were made with paper including illuminated manuscripts. These precious handmade books were difficult to make and expensive, and were thus found in only the richest households. As time went on and paper became more accessible, more people had books and the numbers of illiterate citizens went down. In Europe, people believed that math and science were contrary to the will of God; in Persia, they thought it was a gift from God and embraced it as such. They believed that it was their purpose to discover all they could about these things. They captured their discoveries in these ornate texts. Some common illuminated texts were religious books, and poetry. One of the most common forms is the ghazal. It still exists today.
An Illumination by Anais:
Persian Miniatures and Illumination by Anais
Many think that the middle ages were a time of war, disease, and unsophisticated technology. This is a very common misconception, for in Persia, they were making very significant mathematical advancements. This was also a time where new and more efficient ways of making books emerged, and illiteracy was slowly declining. Even though books became easier to make, it was still a long process. Books were still very expensive and special, and because of this it was highly decorated and beautified, and there were many additions that we rarely have in modern books today, such as illumination, and miniatures.
A miniature was a very detailed painting, that was usually small in size. This type of painting was at its prime in the time between the 13th and 16th century. Although this was over 500 years ago. Even though they were small in size, they depicted very intricate scenes. The level of detail in some may take you days before you notice everything. It was believed that the style of the miniature was brought over from china, which is why many of the paintings look similar to traditional Chinese painting. Miniatures were included in text. It helped make the writing more understandable and interesting, since illiteracy was very common, and pictures helped the reader follow along.
As poetry became very popular around this time, miniatures became paired with a lot of poetry. Although new ways of creating books became a bit easier, because of new ways being discovered to make paper, which did not require the mass killing of hundreds of animals for their skin, making a book was still a complicated process. Only the best artists were selected to illustrate books, and sometimes a book would go through many artists before it was complete. It was common for artists to illuminate or illustrate others’ works after they had passed away.
Illumination was also similar in ways it is created and the purpose, although they have a different formatting. Illuminations surround text, and miniatures are a picture by themselves. Illumination is even older than the practice of miniatures. However, illumination is more well known in European cultures, although Persian literature does contain it. The practice of illumination began almost 1,000 years ago, in the early fifth century. This was a practice of decorating the pages of a very important book or text. Scribes and monks and other artisans would spend years beautifying and decorating the texts. books written were not available in different languages, because each copy had to be handwritten. This meant that those who owned books were very wealthy, and/or had a tremendous amount of power. Not even those in the far upper class could afford books. It is believed that only one in seven could write their own name. The books were illuminated to not only beautify the sacred pages, but to help the reader understand what was going on in the text. It also helped sustain its message and value that a book contained.
Different pigments were used to color in the drawings in both illumination and miniatures. Many pigments were often hard to obtain. The illuminations were called illuminations because the gold and silver leaf used in the pictures made it look like the page was lighting up. To make the pigment for the ink, the pigments had to go through a process. The pigments were hard to obtain as it is, but it had to be prepared so it would stick to the paper. The pigment was usually made from plants, but sometimes other minerals were used, including mercury and sulfur, to make reds and yellows. But the most affordable is minimum, a type of orange, made from the burnt crust of white lead. The inks then had to be mixed with a binding and such as egg whites.The paper also had to be prepared to take the pigments, so after the long process of making the paper, the paper had to be prepped with plaster, water, sugar, and also egg whites. After everything was prepared, the illumination would start with black lines, and then get filled in with color.
European illuminations could contain anything from plants, to animals, to whole scenes. Persian illumination was different. Most Islamic texts did not depict humans, or animals, and instead depicted patterns. There were three different types of patterns used. Geometric (shapes and that all fit together), Vegatal (flowers and plants), and calligraphy (patterns made from scripted words).
Geometric patterns by Sarah:
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Written by Anais and Sarah.
Patterns were one of the most popular forms of art. There are three different types of patterns. Geometric (shapes and that all fit together), Vegatal (flowers and plants), and calligraphy (patterns made from scripted words). Although geometric patterns are a big part of Islamic art, and are an influence on lots of art today, they aren’t the only ones. In the past, Greeks, Romans, and other Eurasian empires have had patterns of their own. The idea for the patterns was to create a piece of art that gave you the feeling of unity and order. Each pattern was intricate and beautiful. Historians still are not sure why patterns became such a big importance in Islamic culture, but there are some theories. One of them is that they began to become popular as a way to be respectful of God. From some interpretations of the Qur’an, it is considered disrespectful to depict humans, because it is an attempt to compete with God’s power of creation. But this is not the only reason why patterns became so important. It has been suggested that the patterns were also symbolic in the way that it depicts and represents God’s infinity, and unity. You can see this by the way each pattern is infinite and all the pieces fit perfectly together. Geometric patterns also give the idea of space, and placement. “Negative and positive space.” Most people don’t think about that when they look at a pattern, but for every pattern made, this is taken into consideration.
Ghazals by Sarah
Ghazals are a form of poetry that was commonly used in Persia in the Middle Ages. Some characteristics of this form are that the verses are usually written in two lines, or couplets. At the end of each couplet there is a radif, a word or phrase that is repeated at the end of each verse, like a refrain. The first two lines of the poem each have the radif. In the first line of the last couplet the poet would somehow incorporate their name into the line. There are at least 5 couplets, and there are often an odd number of them. Some more advanced elements are having a qafia, rhyme, before the radif. Each line could also have the same number of syllables. Some famous poets that wrote in this form are Rumi (1207-1273), Rabia Balkhi (C.900s), and Hafiz (1320-1390).
A Ghazal by Anais
The Faults We do not Care to See
Until we learn how to be ourselves
It all became to much
Darkness slowly spreading claws
It all became to much
We can’t accept our simple flaws
It all became too much
With haunting sounds of broken bells
It all became too much
We can’t relax while buying clothes
It all became too much
How can we learn to say goodby
It became too much
And yet we do this to ourselves
It all became too much
We find the earth is leaving now
It all became too much
And all she knows in which it implies.
It was just too much
A Ghazal by Sarah
“Fly away”
Sometimes I wish that I could fly away
Like a bird — wings — outstretched —
up high — away
Let the winds of change carry me far
To where it’s not about live or die —
away
Nothing to fight about And no one has reason to spy — away
There’s no disasters
And no one has reason to cry — away
Then one night Sarah opened her eyes — away
And her dream bid her goodbye — away