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. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Transliteration Table of Contents Preface Table of Plates Introduction Part One: Techniques of Painting and Arts of the Book Chapter 1: The ground 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 1: Dyeing 2: Marbling 3: Gold flecked paper 4: Other decorated papers Chapter 3: Layout and composition 1: Ruling and layout Ruling Jadval 2: Calligraphy and black inks 3: Preparatory sketch and modular composition Sketch Modular composition Chapter 4: Painting 1: Colours, perception and symbolism 2: Pigments 3: Mediums 4: Application of colours and polishing Chapter 5: Subjects of the paintings 1: The portrait Form and meaning Surat-gari, the portrait Majles-sâzi, group portraits and "scènes de genre" 2: Landscapes, animals 3: Illumination designs Chapter 6: Binding and special operations 1: Bookbinding Repairs and layout of the margins (vassâli, fassâli) 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 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 Library Introduction: The painter and literature Chapter 8: The artist 1: His Origin 2: His Training 3: His Career Chapter 9: The workshop, its operation and division of work 1: The place of work 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 1: The place 2: The librarian 3: Provisioning Conclusion Annexe 1: Pigments used in pre-Islamic sites Annexe 2: Persian texts Glossary Bibliography Index 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.Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in South Asia.