Volume 03 Issue 02-2023
22
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
03
I
SSUE
02
Pages:
22-29
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
(2023:
7.
164
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
ABSTRACT
This article examines the brief history and evolution of miniatures in the XIII-XVII centuries. Particular attention is paid
to the comparative analysis and description of miniature works of different centuries. Also, the execution method and
style of the miniature works made by the masters of different regions will be studied.
KEYWORDS
Miniature, history, era, visual arts, Central Asia, book miniature, manuscript, composition, rhythm, color, master.
INTRODUCTION
The tradition of miniature art continues today.
Therefore, studying the history and traditions of its
origin is considered one of the important issues.
Because the development evolution of the miniature
has its own uniqueness, and it helps to improve the
skills of modern miniature painters. This wonderful art
is being made available through effective scientific
researches of famous art historians and scientists. N.
Norkulov, I. Nizomiddinov, Z. Rahimova, G.
Pugachenkova, F. Martin, B. Denike, O. Galerkina, M.
Ashrafiy studied this art form. In the course of their
scientific research, they clarified the evolution and
development of the centers of miniature art, defined
the scope of the works of some miniature artists, and
noted that the miniatures of several countries, such as
Research Article
FROM HISTORY OF MINIATURE ART
Submission Date:
February 01, 2023,
Accepted Date:
February 05, 2023,
Published Date:
February 10, 2023
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajsshr/Volume03Issue02-04
D.T. Kuryazova
Doctor Of History, Professor Department Of Museum Studies National Institute Of Fine Arts And Design
Named After Kamoliddin Bekhzod, Uzbekistan
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajsshr
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
Volume 03 Issue 02-2023
23
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
03
I
SSUE
02
Pages:
22-29
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
(2023:
7.
164
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Iran and India, were related to each other and had
connections.
Fine art has been developing on earth, especially in the
countries of Central Asia since ancient times. An
example of this is the rock (Zarautsoy, Sarmishsoy,
Bildirsoy), wall (images in Afrosiyob, Varakhsha,
Panjikent monuments) and various objects and images
drawn on books that have come down to us. The above
points prove that mankind has always had a desire to
depict the environment and beauty since its inception.
With the introduction of Islam, large-scale murals of
living creatures were replaced by compositions of
plant-like and geometric patterns. The authors did not
depict human and animal figures, but carried out their
art in the form of tazhib (embroidering, decorating
with gold or silver color). The history of the creation
and development of miniature works is a very complex
process, and it has been created in different ways in
different countries [1.
–
P. 32].
Miniature, as a unique art of painting in the countries
of the Near and Middle East, is inextricably linked with
the development of medieval literature. Miniatures of
these countries have traveled a long and difficult path
during their evolution. That is, in the XII-XIII centuries,
simpler, limited forms were used, and by the XV-XVII
centuries, a perfect pictorial tradition of miniature
styles emerged [2.
–
P. 918].
Miniature, book art developed at a high level in the
period from the XIII century to the XVII century in the
countries of the Middle and Middle East: Afghanistan,
Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Central Asia and the
northern part of India during the Mongol rule, and in
some countries this process continued until the XIX
century. Each of these centers followed its own path of
development, while at the same time they had a
certain affinity to the artistic language and themes
based on the general type of Arabic writing, literature,
classical poetry, aesthetic ideas and moral standards
for that period [3.
–
P. 1].
The peculiarity of the oriental miniature is that the
events depicted in it are reflected in the environment
and conditions in which the artist lives and creates,
regardless of which historical period they belong to.
Although this is a portrait of the legendary great Shah
Jamshid, Alexander the Great, or Genghis Khan, their
costumes, architecture, and household details
correspond to the time and place of the creation of the
miniatures. It always helps researchers to identify the
country of origin of the miniature itself, to know the
various realities of the respective time and place [4.
–
P. 12].
Written sources testify to the high level of
development of fine art in Central Asia at the end of the
XIV century and the first half of the XV century. Its
development took place in two currents - the magnate
and the miniature image. The first was related to the
Volume 03 Issue 02-2023
24
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
03
I
SSUE
02
Pages:
22-29
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
(2023:
7.
164
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
external and internal decoration of architectural
monuments, the plane of the wall, and the second was
related to book art, the artistic decoration of the
manuscript, the surface of the page.
According to some scholars, in the XV century Central
Asian artists could have a realistic idea of European
visual arts through trade and diplomatic relations.
However, the works created in the West did not have
any influence on the local visual arts. Central Asian
painters had deeper knowledge of Chinese visual arts.
However, it should be noted that the analysis of
miniatures of the end of the XIV and XV centuries did
not show the decisive influence of the Chinese artistic
style on the local painting, which developed its own
technique, style, artistic and figurative worldview.
A combination of reality, fiction and symbolism can be
seen in the miniatures of the countries mentioned
above. Its images are solemn, full of joy and charm of
life. The elegance of the miniature is in the saturation
of colorful and bright colors, in the expressiveness of
the movements of the figures, in the simplicity and
clarity of the image of the landscape and architectural
structures. The art of book miniatures is conventional
and attractive in its decoration. It mainly shows two-
dimensional compositions, and does not use artistic
tools such as light and shadow games, perspective.
Although the styles and canons of creating miniature
works are the same, the images created in different
historical periods were fundamentally different from
each other in terms of compositional solutions, color
balance and proportions, and artistic tools used to
convey the content of the work.
Miniatures in manuscripts strictly obey the classical
canon, which has been formed over the centuries, the
main elements of which have been preserved almost
until the XX century. Its main task is to show the inner,
hidden meaning of things, so basically the image is
deprived of a clear connection with the text and
reproduces some alternative reality [5.
–
P. 2]. As an
example of the above ideas, it is possible to analyze the
miniatures created in several centuries.
For example, if we analyze the image of the novel
“Varka and Gulshah” written in the Ayyuki manuscript
from the miniatures of the X-XIII centuries before the
Mongols, the work is distinguished by its bright
composition and strictly symmetrical construction (Fig.
1).
Volume 03 Issue 02-2023
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
03
I
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02
Pages:
22-29
SJIF
I
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FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
(2023:
7.
164
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Figure 1. Battle of Varka an
d Rob’i.
The landscape has only a decorative function, the artist
did not try to draw it in detail. The fact that the images
of some miniatures are placed on the same decorative
surface and on a colored background shows that it was
influenced by the majestic painting. As in all miniatures,
the color scheme in the work is symbolic, with light,
bright colors representing positive characters and
heroes, and dark colors representing negative ones.
The achievements and traditions of this period
disappeared by the time of the Mongols in the XIII-XIV
centuries. The Mongol conquest left a huge mark on all
subsequent developments of Muslim art. The creation
of a single cultural space from China to Syria allowed
the free circulation of various influences. In addition,
the new rulers, who often became pagans, were
characterized by greater religious tolerance and
breadth of views [5.
–
P. 4].
During this period, the classic style of Islamic
miniatures was formed. Its main center was Tabriz, the
capital of the Mongol Ilkhanid dynasty. According to
the sources, the Mongols brought Chinese artists with
them. For this reason, there are assumptions that
traditional attributes of Chinese art, such as flowers,
dragons, various birds, stylized clouds, specific
elements of clothing, began to appear in the
miniatures.
The analysis of the manuscript “Jamiy al
-
Tawarikh” and
the work “Gazan
-
Khan on horseback” made at the
beginning of the XIV century shows that the works of
artists of this period are two-dimensional, and
although the games of light and shadow are not
reflected, figures, objects and colors are placed
rhythmically in their perfect compositions. In the
thumbnail below, to maintain the balance between the
white and black horses, Gazan-Khan is shown in black
clothes. The white flowers on the tree are in
proportion to the color of the white horse, and to
maintain the overall balance of the work, a figure of a
man and a horse is drawn to the left and a tree to the
right. Plants are also arranged rhythmically (Fig. 2). So,
Volume 03 Issue 02-2023
26
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
03
I
SSUE
02
Pages:
22-29
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
(2023:
7.
164
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
it is impossible to come to the opinion that the artists
of this period skillfully used the artistic means of
painting.
Figure 2. Gazan Khan on horseback. A miniature made in the early XIV century “Jamiy al
-
Tawarikh” manuscript
Many miniatures of the Tabriz school depict everyday
scenes, scenes from court life, as well as plots of
characters from the poetic works of the classics of
Persian literature.
The works created in this period are distinguished by
bright, light color strokes of the composition, softer
colors, and attempts to create a spatial illusion. An
example of this is the miniature taken from the book
“Shah
-
nama” by the Persian poet Firdausi (1330
-1340
years), which is kept in the Metropolitan Museum of
Art. The image of Isfandiyar's funeral displays a
melancholy characteristic of Persian art. In the
technique brought to Central Asia by the Mongols,
space and spatial depth are achieved by placing a large
number of figures on top of each other.
According to written sources, Amir Temur paved the
way for the development of book miniature art.
Masters and artists brought from foreign countries
worked in his kingdom. The workshop was led by an
artist from Baghdad, Abdulhai. In particular, the
miniature paintings of the Timur period can be
evaluated through the works of Junayd Sultani, who
studied the secrets of art together with Abdulkhay, in
the hands of the Baghdad miniaturist Shamsiddin.
During this period, miniature painting was perfected.
After the reign of Amir Temur, like all art forms,
miniature painting continued during the reign of Mirzo
Ulugbek. The reign of Ulugbek (1409-1449) in
Mowarounnahr is marked in history by the further
development of cultural life and the flourishing of art
and literature.
Volume 03 Issue 02-2023
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
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VOLUME
03
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02
Pages:
22-29
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
(2023:
7.
164
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
By the XV century, some changes occur in miniature
images. The image of this period is often characterized
by multi-figure, complex composition, elegant images,
careful and accurate drawing of landscape and
symbols, richness of colors and shades. It is worth
noting that the charm of miniature images is due to the
abundance of small, carefully drawn details that amaze
with its elegance, fine lines, craftsmanship, pure
geometry and bright palette. It is in miniature art that
national identity begins to gain full expression.
In the XVI century, during the Shaibani period,
miniature art developed in Bukhara, Samarkand and
Shahrukhia. Because in 1507, Shaibani Khan also
brought the masters from Khirat to Samarkand, and art
flourished again [6.
–
P. 2.]. Bukhara was the most
developed center of miniature art during this period. At
first, artists from Khyrot worked here. But later
masters develop their own style and create amazing
unique works. One of the famous artists of the Bukhara
school was Mahmud Muzaxhib, Muhammad Murad
Samarkandi and Abdullah.
The miniature work of Muhammed Murad Samarkandi,
based
on
the
“Shah
-
nama”
manuscript,
is
distinguished from others by the fact that it has a
moderate background, a perfect compositional
solution, the choice of color spots in proportion to
each other, the number of figures and their rhythmic
location, and the strength of the dynamics of
movement (Fig. 3).
Figure 3. Muhammed Murad Samarkandi. Battle. A miniature of the “Shah
-
nama” manuscript. 1556 year.
In the XVII century, the Bukhara school maintained its
leading position. During this period, his style varied and
showed the influence of other modern oriental
miniature schools. In the second half of the XVII
century, Muhammad Muqim, Muhammad Nadir and
others created works in Bukhara.
Volume 03 Issue 02-2023
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VOLUME
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SJIF
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FACTOR
(2021:
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)
(2022:
6.
015
)
(2023:
7.
164
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
F
igure 4. Makhan in the enchanted garden, Nizami “Hamsa” Bukhara. 1648 year.
A strong figure in this miniature, a well-coordinated
figure with dense colors in saturated tones, is placed in
the lap of nature. All images and colors in the work are
symmetrical and harmonious. The composition gives
the miniatures a certain magnificence even with the
pure genre basis of the selected subjects (Fig. 4).
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the study of the history and evolution of
Central Asian miniature painting in the XIII-XVII
centuries has convinced us that this region was a
period characterized by great achievements in various
fields of artistic creation, and that it is not a part of the
Near Eastern miniature art, but is bright and unique.
REFERENCES
1.
1.Norkulov N., Nizamiddinov I. Sketches from
miniature history.- Tashkent, G'.Ghulam, 1970. - B.
32.
2.
Naumov, S. T. The art of miniatures from the
Middle Ages to the present day // Young scientist.
—
2014.
—
№ 2 (61). —
P. 918.
—
URL:
https://moluch.ru/archive/61/9183
/
(accessed:
09/10/2022).
3.
Miniature: art with a long history. https
://www.unesco.org/ru
/articles
/miniatyura-
iskusstvo-s-mnogovekovoy-istoriey
(accessed:
11.09.2022).
4.
Pugachenkova G. A. Central Asian miniatures
(XVI
—
XVIII centuries in selected samples).
Volume 03 Issue 02-2023
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
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2771-2141)
VOLUME
03
I
SSUE
02
Pages:
22-29
SJIF
I
MPACT
FACTOR
(2021:
5.
993
)
(2022:
6.
015
)
(2023:
7.
164
)
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Tashkent: The main edition of encyclopedias, b/g
–
S. 12. https://greylib.align.ru/1081/pugachenkova-g-
a-sredneaziatskie-miniatyury-xvi-xviii-vekov-v-
izbrannyx-obrazcax.html (date of reference:
28.08.2022).
5.
The main schools of Islamic book painting.
https://arzamas.academy/materials /1628 (date of
reference: 12.08.2022).
6.
Persian painting. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki /
(accessed: 09/14/2022).
