Painters, Paintings and Books: An Essay on Indo-Persian Technical Literature, 12-19th Centuries

278 Pages·2021·134.353 MB·English

by  Yves Porter, S. Butani

PAINTERS, PAINTINGS AND BOOKS
An Essay on Indo-Persian Technical Literature,
12-19th Centuries
The work aims at bringing the Persian texts into the study of the arts
and technology of the Indo-lranian world – an approach much neglected
so far. Drawing upon Persian sources (both from Iran and India), viz.,
technical treatises, historical chronicles and poetical texts, the work
deals with painting and the art of book making during twelfth to
nineteenth century.
The introduction presents the geographical and chronological
dimensions of the study. After a brief history of Persian painting before
the twelfth century, the book discusses mural painting, manuscripts,
origin of paper and its fabrication, the composition of the page, colours/
pigments used in the paintings, painting subjects, bookbinding, etc.
The painter, man and artist, his origin, his training, his status,
aesthetics and taste, his workshop and its organisation and distribution
of tasks therein, modular construction of the manuscripts, library, the
caligraphy surrounding the painting, its illuminations and binding are
all analysed.
In fact the book reconstructs the entire process of making an
illustrated manuscript from its ground work to its binding. Persian
text and illustrations enhance the utility of the work.
Yves Porter, a specialist on arts and techniques in the Iranian world
and Islamized India was born in Barcelona in 1957. After studying
Oriental Languages (Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Pashtu, Hindi) at
INALCO, Paris, he obtained his Ph D at Sorbonne Nouvelle University,
Paris in 1988 in Iranian Studies. In 2000, he passed his ‘Habilitation
à diriger des Recherches’ (HdR, Paris IV University).
Since 1993, he teaches Islamic Art at Aix Marseille Université,
Aix-en-Provence (AMU, Department of Art History). He is attached
to the Laboratoire d'Archéologie Méditerranéenne Médiévale et
Moderne (LA3M), CNRS/AMU. Since October 2018, he is also part
of the Institut Universitaire de France, with a project on ‘Kashan
Luster Ware’.

PAINTERS, PAINTINGS AND BOOKS
An Essay on Indo-Persian Technical Literature,
12-19th Centuries
YVES POR1ER

(transl. by Mrs. S. Butani)

MANOHAR
Centre for Human Sciences, New Delhi
First published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
First edition published by Manohar Publishers 1994
Reprint edition published by Manohar Publishers 2007
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 I.F.R.I. 1992 for the French Text; Centre for Human Sciences, New
Delhi, 1994 for the English text and Manohar Publishers
The right of Yves Porter to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Bangladesh, Pakistan or Bhutan)
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-0-367-53494-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-08221-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Ajay Kumar Jain
To the artists, craftsmen and ahl-e ma 'ni.

To my parents.
TRANSLITERATION

The transliteration of t he Persian and Urdu words is given here in
a simplified system :
a s ~
b y z ~
1.
p ~
u z 1;
s ..::;.. t
j C gh t
c C f oJ
h C. q U
kh C. k !,}
d ..) g f
z ..) I J
r ) m i
z ) n 0
zh ). .. v/u . J
s If.".. hie 0
sh I.J'" y/i IS
'(hamza) ~
The vernacular Indian words are followed by a *.
Accents and long vowels are only noted in the Bibliography, Glossary
and Index.
Bibliographical references are abridged in the notes; -the complete
references will be found in the Bibliography.
CONTENTS

Preface xi
Table of Plates xiii
INTRODUCfION 1
PART ONE: TECHNIQUES OF PAINTING AND 10
ARTS OF mE B OOK
Chapter 1. The ground 13
1. Paper
The origin of paper in the Iranian world
Techniques for manufacturing paper
Types of paper
Formats
Sizing and polishing
2. Other grounds
Cloth
Grounds for paintings using oil-based mediums
Chapter 2. Decorated papers 36
1. Dyeing
2. Marbling
3. Gold flecked paper
4. Other decorated papers
Chapter 3. Layout and composition 57
1. Ruling and layout
Ruling
ladval
2. Calligraphy and black inks
3. Preparatory sketch and modular composition
Sketch
Modular composition
viii Contents
Chapter 4. Painting 70

1. Colours, perception and symbolism
2. Pigments
3. Mediums
4. Application of colours and polishing
Chapter 5. Subjects of the paintings 104
1. The portrait
Form and meaning
Surat-gari, the portrait
Majles-sazi, group portraits and "scenes de genre"
2. Landscapes, animals

3. Illumination designs

Chapter 6. Binding and special operations 117
1. Bookbinding
Repairs and layout of the margins (vassali, fassali)
Stitching of the quires and headband
Cardboards and covers
2. Special operations

Removing marks and making corrections

"Tricks" and invisible inks

Chapter 7. Mural painting and ceramics: A parallel 126
1. Mural paintings
Mural paintings of the Muslim period
Mural paintings of the Muslim Iranian world
(9th to 18th centuries)
2. Ceramics
PART TWO:THE PAINTER, THE WORKSHOP,
THE LmRARY
Introduction·: The painter and literature 137
Chapter 8. The artist 146
1. His Origin
2. His Training
3. His Career
Chapter 9. The workshop, its operation and division of work 151
1. The place of work
Contents ix
2. Division of the work
The calligrapher
The painter and the illuminator
Binders
Colour-makers and lower staff
3. Management and administration work
Commissioning of the work
Supply of material and salaries
Chapter 10. The library 169
I. The place
2. The librarian
3. Provisioning
CONCLUSION 174
ANNEXE I: Pigments used in pre-Islamic sites 178
ANNEXE 2: Persian texts 184
GLOSSARY 212
BIBLIOGRAPHY 221
INDEX 241