The Look of the Book: Manuscript Production in Shiraz, 1303-1452 (original) (raw)

specifically royalpatronage is not in doubt and is more extensive. Manuscripts were commissioned by an Injuid vizier and by the sister and mother of the ruler Abu Ishaq, who himself commissioned at least three surviving pieces of metal-work^*^and who can, perhaps, be associated with two manuscripts, though neither actually bears his name. These two manuscripts are a copy of Mu'nis al-ahrar, produced in Isfahan and dated 741/1341 (Kuwait LNS 9 MS), and the undated Stephens Shahnama. In the double-page frontispiece included in each, a ruler is shown enthroned with his consort, a scene also depicted on Abu Ishaq's candlestick (see fig. 2zb) and on the TbiUsi tray. The portrayal of an enthroned couple is rare in Islamic art as a whole, yet a surprising twenty-six such depictions, including two on metalwork, are known from the fourteenth century. Including those previously discussed, they are: SMALL, SQ_UARE ENTHRONEMENTS (TABRIZ) 1. Berlin-SB Diez A foHo 71, s. 41 no. 4, s. 42 no. 4, s. 42 no. 6, s. 45 no. 4, s. 46 no. 6, and s. 63 no. 1 (six paintings) 2. Berlin-SB Diez A folio 71, s. 63 nos. 2-3 and 5-7 (five paintings) 3. Tashkent 1620, fF. 109a ("Ogedei Khan and His Wife") and 193a ("Hulagu Khan and His Wife"), Tarikh-i ghazani (vol. 1 ofJami' al-tavarikh) (two paintings)^-SINGLE-PAGE ENTHRONEMENTS (TABRIZ) 4. BerUn-SB Diez A foHo 70, s. 22^5. BerUn-SB Diez A folio 71, s. 48''* 6. BerUn-SB Diez A folio 71, s. 52^^" DOUBLE-PAGE ENTHRONEMENTS (TABRIZ) 7. BerUn-SB Diez A foUo 70, s. 10 (one half of a double-page composition with s. sY^' 8. BerUn-SB Diez A foUo 70, s. 21 (one half of a double-page composition with s. 11) ''9. Berlin-SB Diez A foUo 70, s. 23 (one half of a double-page composition with s. 20) '1 0. TS H. 2153, f. 23b (presumably one half of what was once a double-page composition)'''' 36 CHAPTER 1 u. TS H. 2153, f. 148b (presumably one half of what was once a double-page composition)^" 12. Rampur, Reza Library no. 1820, If. i54b-55a, "The Enthronement of Timur Khan and His Consort," Tarikh-i ghazani OTHER ENTHRONEMENTS 13. Tbilisi 48/ 1, inlaid brass tray, first half of the fourteenth century, Fars^1 4. Qatar MW.122.1999, candlestick with the name of Abu Ishaq Inju (see figs. 22a-b) 15. Kuwait LNS 9 MS, Mu'nis al-ahrar, £ 2a, Isfahan, 741/1341 (fig. 24) 16. Sackler LTSi998.i.i.3a, Stephens Shahnama, f. 3a, n.d., but late 1340s, early 1350S (fig. 25) 29-Marginal, Our'an, probably 1340s, 42.4 X 30.9 cm (folio). Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, OURi82,f 41a. © Nour Foundation. Courtesy of the Khalili Family Trust. 30. Marginal, Our'an, probably 1340s, 42.4 X 30.9 cm (folio).