Papers by Ilse Sturkenboom
Beiträge zur islamischen Kunst und Archäologie, Dec 31, 2016
Starting in the fifteenth century, images of the enthronement of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba o... more Starting in the fifteenth century, images of the enthronement of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba often appear in paintings in manuscripts from Persianate realms. These images draw upon the Qurʾan and ancillary legends, but they developed quite separately from the textual impulse. This contribution argues that the sophisticated interplay between words and images gave rise to an “opening” picture in manuscripts in which the text of the Manṭiq al-Ṭayr is found. In this context, the images function as an allegory for the mystical journey to God that is described in this text. They contributed much to the development of an iconography that would henceforth be widely adopted, given a new affiliation, and often altered for use in manuscripts of different and varied content.
University of Bamberg Press eBooks, 2022
Ein frommer Muslim oder Scheich verliebt sich eines Tages in eine Christin. Er konvertiert-aus Li... more Ein frommer Muslim oder Scheich verliebt sich eines Tages in eine Christin. Er konvertiert-aus Liebe zu ihr und aus dem Verlangen diese Andersgläubige zu heiraten-zum Christentum und praktiziert für Muslime verbotene Handlungen, wie das Hüten von Schweinen und das Trinken von Wein. Mit dieser Erzählung liegt uns ein weit verbreitetes Motiv vor, das in verschiedenen Formen tradiert und rezipiert worden ist. Aus dem Mittelalter sind schriftliche Versionen im Arabischen 1 , im Persischen 2 und in * Die hier präsentierten Forschungsergebnisse entstammen dem Promotionsprojekt der Autorin "Illustrierte Handschriften des Manṭiq aṭ-ṭayr" im Fach der Islamischen Kunstgeschichte und Archäologie der Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg. Diese Dissertation wird begleitet von Prof. Dr. Lorenz Korn, dem ich für seine Unterstützung, seine Ratschläge und seinen kritischen Blick zu tiefstem Dank verpflichtet bin. Dieses
Der Islam, 2020
The monograph Esoteric Images by Tawfiq Da ʿ adli centers around one of the British Library’s mos... more The monograph Esoteric Images by Tawfiq Da ʿ adli centers around one of the British Library’s most famous Persian manuscripts, Niẓāmī’s Khamsa Or. 6810,1 to explain the book painting produced in Herat towards the end of the 15th century. Dedicated to the library of the Timurid Amir ʿ Alī Fārsī Barlās in one painting (f. 62b) and dated to 900/1494‒5 in another (on f. 214a, not on f. 284a, as Da ʿ adli states), this manuscript is believed to have been produced in Herat during the reign of Sultan Ḥusayn Bāyqarā (r. 1469‒1506) and has been discussed in a monograph by F. R. Martin and Sir Thomas Arnold,2 in an article by Ivan Stchoukine3 and in works concerned with the painting of late 15th-century Herat, previously also referred to as the “Bihzad School.” Since the beginning of the 20th century, the attribution of paintings to Kamāl al-Dīn Bihzād and the discussion of his oeuvre had been central to the study of Persianate painting4
In the 15th century, Persian manuscripts underwent significant and lasting changes. Possibly as a... more In the 15th century, Persian manuscripts underwent significant and lasting changes. Possibly as a response to the import of tinted and gold-decorated paper from China, which was used for manuscript production in Greater Iran, Persian papers were also tinted and embellished with gold-decorated and marbled margins or frames. In a joint project between CSMC and the University of St Andrews, and in co-operation with the Golestan Palace Museum, we aim to analyse papers and their decorations in manuscripts in the holdings of the Golestan Palace Library. The analyses aim to determine the consistencies of papers, pigments and metals and the techniques used for their production and application. The support will be first described in its codicological characteristics such as dimensions, thickness, colour (expressed in colour coordinates), pattern left from the sieve (observed in transmitted light). The plant used as raw material in paper production will be studied by fibres analysis, while th...
In der Sammlung der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin befindet sich eine Handschrift des Manṭiq aṭ-Ṭayr ... more In der Sammlung der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin befindet sich eine Handschrift des Manṭiq aṭ-Ṭayr ("Vogelgespräche"), einer epischen Dichtung in persischer Sprache, verfasst von Farīd ad-Dīn ʿAṭṭār (gest. wohl um 1220) aus Nischapur im Nordosten des heutigen Iran 2. Die Handschrift ist mit dreizehn Malereien reich illustriert und ihre beiden Titelseiten schmücken blau-goldene Illumination wie auch Goldsprenkel auf dem äußeren Rand des Papiers. Der Wert dieser Handschrift liegt jedoch nicht nur in ihrer Ästhetik. Im Kolophon wird erwähnt, dass sie 1456 von dem Kalligraphen ʿAtīq al-Kātib at-Tūnī geschrieben wurde 3. Damit gehört sie zu den frühesten illustrierten Handschriften, die ausschließlich das Manṭiq aṭ-Ṭayr wiedergeben, und bietet so einen Einblick in das sich entwickelnde Bildprogramm dieses 1 Die hier präsentierten Ergebnisse sind der Masterarbeit der Autorin, "Illustrierte Handschriften des Manṭiq aṭ-Ṭayr (Vogelgespräche) in Berliner Sammlungen: Eine Analyse des Verhältnisses zwischen Text und Bild", 2010 im Fach Iranistik der Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg verfasst, entnommen. Diese Masterarbeit wurde begleitet von Prof. Dr. Birgitt Hoffmann und Prof. Dr. Lorenz Korn. Weitere Erkenntnisse stammen aus dem laufenden Promotionsprojekt "Illustrierte Handschriften des Manṭiq aṭ-Ṭayr (Vogelgespräche)" im Fach Islamische Kunstgeschichte und Archäologie der Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg. Das Projekt wird von Prof. Dr. Lorenz Korn betreut und gefördert durch ein Stipendium der Gerda Henkel Stiftung (2010-2012) und ein Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship am Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2013-2014). Ich danke Christoph Rauch, Leiter der Orientabteilung der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin-Preußischer Kulturbesitz, herzlich für die Erlaubnis, die hier abgebildeten Folienseiten zu publizieren.
The successful candidate will conduct research in the ERC project "GLOBAL DECO PAPER: Decorated P... more The successful candidate will conduct research in the ERC project "GLOBAL DECO PAPER: Decorated Paper in the Early-Modern Islamicate World: Aesthetics, Techniques and Meaning in Global Contexts", led by Prof. Dr. Ilse Sturkenboom. This EU-funded project aims at re-evaluating the early-modern history of the Islamicate arts of the book from a so-far little considered perspective: the border and background decoration of manuscripts. It brings together scholars in an interdisciplinary approach to aesthetics, materials, techniques and meaning of decorated paper produced and used in early-modern China, Central Asia, Iran, India and the Ottoman Empire. Favouring objects in the historical centres over well-known materials from collections in the West, this research is designed to further collections in the Middle East and Asia and to bring their understudied artworks under broader scholarly attention through publications and an interactive database. The project has the potential to signiRcantly reshape the existing construct of Art History by shifting the attention to highstandard yet systematically ignored artistic production of decorated papers; meticulously investigating local traditions through innovative combinations of material analyses, the study of written sources and hardly applied comparisons with contemporary paper-decoration practices; and focusing on networks of trade, diplomacy and artistic exchange in Asia and the Middle East that paved the way for greatly varied and technically advanced forms of augmented paper decoration.
The successful candidate will conduct research in the ERC project "GLOBAL DECO PAPER: Decorated P... more The successful candidate will conduct research in the ERC project "GLOBAL DECO PAPER: Decorated Paper in the Early-Modern Islamicate World: Aesthetics, Techniques and Meaning in Global Contexts", led by Prof. Dr. Ilse Sturkenboom. This EU-funded project aims at re-evaluating the early-modern history of the Islamicate arts of the book from a so-far little considered perspective: the border and background decoration of manuscripts. It brings together scholars in an interdisciplinary approach to aesthetics, materials, techniques and meaning of decorated paper produced and used in early-modern China, Central Asia, Iran, India and the Ottoman Empire. Favouring objects in the historical centres over well-known materials from collections in the West, this research is designed to further collections in the Middle East and Asia and to bring their understudied artworks under broader scholarly attention through publications and an interactive database. The project has the potential to signiRcantly reshape the existing construct of Art History by shifting the attention to highstandard yet systematically ignored artistic production of decorated papers; meticulously investigating local traditions through innovative combinations of material analyses, the study of written sources and hardly applied comparisons with contemporary paper-decoration practices; and focusing on networks of trade, diplomacy and artistic exchange in Asia and the Middle East that paved the way for greatly varied and technically advanced forms of augmented paper decoration.
Writing as Intermediary: Text-Image Relations in Early Modern Islamic Cultures, 2022
Approximately one century ago, Islamic art historians became aware of the use of a particular kin... more Approximately one century ago, Islamic art historians became aware of the use of a particular kind of coloured and gold-decorated paper in specific fifteenthcentury manuscripts from the Persianate world. Based mainly on the style of this paper's gold motifs it is believed to have its origin in China, even if, until now, this was not supported by scientific evidence. Apart from its origin, other important questions have remained unanswered concerning the paper's materiality and production techniques, its original use, and the reasons for which it was applied in Persianate manuscript production. After introducing previous approaches to this particular subject and the manuscripts in which the paper was identified, this article presents initial results from scientific and technical analyses of so-called 'Chinese' paper, discusses its gold motifs and their application techniques, investigates how the original long sheets were cut and used in greater Iran and China and considers possible motivations for the use of this paper in Persianate manuscripts. 1 This research is generously funded by a Bahari Visiting Fellowship at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, the Carnegie Trust, and the Leverhulme Trust and conducted in cooperation with the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMS) at the University of Hamburg. Many institutions and individuals have been extremely welcoming and were of great help in gaining access to and knowledge about the relevant material. I would especially like to
Iran, 2018
ABSTRACT The marginal paintings on eight leaves of the Freer Divan of Sultan Ahmad b. Shaykh Uvay... more ABSTRACT The marginal paintings on eight leaves of the Freer Divan of Sultan Ahmad b. Shaykh Uvays (r. 1382–1410) have received a century’s worth of scholarly attention. Yet, their relationship to the Divan’s text, their positions in the manuscript and their near to monochrome execution have never been satisfactorily explained. This article untangles the different stages of the manuscript’s production and concludes that the paintings were added onto the margins around the text during the reign of Sultan Ahmad, but were part of a much more extensive plan that envisioned marginal compositions throughout the manuscript. Contrary to the suggestion that the paintings illustrate mystical stages described in ʿAttar’s Mantiq al-tayr, this article argues that the paintings bear witness to new aesthetics of the illuminated page. Ink-drawn designs of motifs and whole compositions that are now collected in albums, designs’ application as non-narrative painting in anthologies produced for Iskandar b. ʿUmar-Shaykh, and texts written onto gold-painted and tinted paper constitute contemporary comparisons that demonstrate a new taste for decorative design. These comparisons indicate that by combining single motifs in landscape settings, the Freer Divan’s paintings stood at the beginning of an enduring appreciation of monochrome designs as embellishment around written text.
Copying Manuscripts: Textual and Material Craftmanship, 2020
The marginal paintings on eight leaves of the Freer Divan of Sultan Ahmad b. Shaykh Uvays (r.
138... more The marginal paintings on eight leaves of the Freer Divan of Sultan Ahmad b. Shaykh Uvays (r.
1382–1410) have received a century’s worth of scholarly attention. Yet, their relationship to the
Divan’s text, their positions in the manuscript and their near to monochrome execution have
never been satisfactorily explained. This article untangles the different stages of the manuscript’s
production and concludes that the paintings were added onto the margins around the text
during the reign of Sultan Ahmad, but were part of a much more extensive plan that envisioned
marginal compositions throughout the manuscript. Contrary to the suggestion that the paintings
illustrate mystical stages described in ʿAttar’s Mantiq al-tayr, this article argues that the paintings
bear witness to new aesthetics of the illuminated page. Ink-drawn designs of motifs and whole
compositions that are now collected in albums, designs’ application as non-narrative painting in
anthologies produced for Iskandar b. ʿUmar-Shaykh, and texts written onto gold-painted and
tinted paper constitute contemporary comparisons that demonstrate a new taste for decorative
design. These comparisons indicate that by combining single motifs in landscape settings, the
Freer Divan’s paintings stood at the beginning of an enduring appreciation of monochrome
designs as embellishment around written text.
Starting in the fifteenth century, images of the enthronement of Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba o... more Starting in the fifteenth century, images of the enthronement of Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba often appear in paintings in manuscripts from Persianate realms. These images draw upon the
Qurʾan and ancillary legends, but they developed quite separately from the textual impulse. This contribution
argues that the sophisticated interplay between words and images gave rise to an “opening”
picture in manuscripts in which the text of the Manṭiq al-Ṭayr is found. In this context, the images function
as an allegory for the mystical journey to God that is described in this text. They contributed much
to the development of an iconography that would henceforth be widely adopted, given a new affiliation,
and often altered for use in manuscripts of different and varied content.
Ein frommer Muslim oder Scheich verliebt sich eines Tages in eine Christin. Er konvertiertaus Lie... more Ein frommer Muslim oder Scheich verliebt sich eines Tages in eine Christin. Er konvertiertaus Liebe zu ihr und aus dem Verlangen diese Andersgläubige zu heiratenzum Christentum und praktiziert für Muslime verbotene Handlungen, wie das Hüten von Schweinen und das Trinken von Wein. Mit dieser Erzählung liegt uns ein weit verbreitetes Motiv vor, das in verschiedenen Formen tradiert und rezipiert worden ist. Aus dem Mittelalter sind schriftliche Versionen im Arabischen 1 , im Persischen 2 und in * Die hier präsentierten Forschungsergebnisse entstammen dem Promotionsprojekt der Autorin "Illustrierte Handschriften des Manṭiq aṭ-ṭayr" im Fach der Islamischen
The spiritual journey to God by a flock of birds is the central subject of The Conference of the ... more The spiritual journey to God by a flock of birds is the central subject of The Conference of the Birds (Manṭiq al-Ṭayr), a narrative poem written in Persian by Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār of Nishapur, in present-day Iran, around the year 1200. A transcript of this poetic tale is now part of a collection kept by the Berlin State Library – Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. The colophon in this document tells us that the copy was completed in 1456 by the calligrapher ʿAtīq al-Kātib al-Tūnī. The manuscript was decorated with thirteen colour illustrations a short time later. This makes it one of the earliest manuscripts to illustrate the story of the birds, which raises the question of how the mystical search for God was translated into pictures. Clues such as notes, glosses and the style of the decoration suggest that the manuscript was worked on in a number of different locations. So how did a book about the spiritual journey come to embark on a journey all of its own?
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Papers by Ilse Sturkenboom
1382–1410) have received a century’s worth of scholarly attention. Yet, their relationship to the
Divan’s text, their positions in the manuscript and their near to monochrome execution have
never been satisfactorily explained. This article untangles the different stages of the manuscript’s
production and concludes that the paintings were added onto the margins around the text
during the reign of Sultan Ahmad, but were part of a much more extensive plan that envisioned
marginal compositions throughout the manuscript. Contrary to the suggestion that the paintings
illustrate mystical stages described in ʿAttar’s Mantiq al-tayr, this article argues that the paintings
bear witness to new aesthetics of the illuminated page. Ink-drawn designs of motifs and whole
compositions that are now collected in albums, designs’ application as non-narrative painting in
anthologies produced for Iskandar b. ʿUmar-Shaykh, and texts written onto gold-painted and
tinted paper constitute contemporary comparisons that demonstrate a new taste for decorative
design. These comparisons indicate that by combining single motifs in landscape settings, the
Freer Divan’s paintings stood at the beginning of an enduring appreciation of monochrome
designs as embellishment around written text.
Sheba often appear in paintings in manuscripts from Persianate realms. These images draw upon the
Qurʾan and ancillary legends, but they developed quite separately from the textual impulse. This contribution
argues that the sophisticated interplay between words and images gave rise to an “opening”
picture in manuscripts in which the text of the Manṭiq al-Ṭayr is found. In this context, the images function
as an allegory for the mystical journey to God that is described in this text. They contributed much
to the development of an iconography that would henceforth be widely adopted, given a new affiliation,
and often altered for use in manuscripts of different and varied content.
1382–1410) have received a century’s worth of scholarly attention. Yet, their relationship to the
Divan’s text, their positions in the manuscript and their near to monochrome execution have
never been satisfactorily explained. This article untangles the different stages of the manuscript’s
production and concludes that the paintings were added onto the margins around the text
during the reign of Sultan Ahmad, but were part of a much more extensive plan that envisioned
marginal compositions throughout the manuscript. Contrary to the suggestion that the paintings
illustrate mystical stages described in ʿAttar’s Mantiq al-tayr, this article argues that the paintings
bear witness to new aesthetics of the illuminated page. Ink-drawn designs of motifs and whole
compositions that are now collected in albums, designs’ application as non-narrative painting in
anthologies produced for Iskandar b. ʿUmar-Shaykh, and texts written onto gold-painted and
tinted paper constitute contemporary comparisons that demonstrate a new taste for decorative
design. These comparisons indicate that by combining single motifs in landscape settings, the
Freer Divan’s paintings stood at the beginning of an enduring appreciation of monochrome
designs as embellishment around written text.
Sheba often appear in paintings in manuscripts from Persianate realms. These images draw upon the
Qurʾan and ancillary legends, but they developed quite separately from the textual impulse. This contribution
argues that the sophisticated interplay between words and images gave rise to an “opening”
picture in manuscripts in which the text of the Manṭiq al-Ṭayr is found. In this context, the images function
as an allegory for the mystical journey to God that is described in this text. They contributed much
to the development of an iconography that would henceforth be widely adopted, given a new affiliation,
and often altered for use in manuscripts of different and varied content.
Bearing in mind the life cycle and codicological aspects of the manuscript, this paper will reconsider the relationship of text and image in the Freer Dīvān and propose the pictures to be non-illustrative designs. In favor of this hypothesis, single motifs and compositions of the Freer Dīvān’s paintings will be compared with (album) designs and with non-illustrative painting in early-fifteenth-century anthologies.
It is quite astonishing that the manuscripts in which the iconography of the enthronement of both monarchs initially occurred do not, as a core theme, narrate about the enthroned couple and their courtiers depicted. Scholars have explained this phenomenon by means of identification of the people of Shiraz with Solomon, who is, besides in the Qurʾan, narrated about in various legends and stories. Although this identification might explain the popularity of the depiction, the ways in which this particular iconography was developed and transmitted still remain largely unknown.
This paper seeks to unveil the developments that took place prior to the end of the fifteenth century. Illustrations to legends and stories about Solomon and the Queen of Sheba will be investigated. Processes of detachment of the painted motifs from a close textual relationship will be identified, and new meanings engendered by the combination of pictorial and textual imagery will be explained. In the end, the ways in which motifs from various sources resulted in the well known enthronement scene will be elucidated.