Introduction and Analytical Study of Paintings from a Previously Understudied 12th Century A.H. Khamsa Manuscript from the Library of Marashi in Qom

Abstract

The Iskandarnāma, the fifth Masnavi of the Nezami’s Khamsa, recounts the legendary and historical episodes of Iskandar the Great. This study examines an understudied manuscript of the Nezami’s Iskandarnāma preserved in the Marashi Library of Qom. The manuscript dates to 1115 A.H. (1703 AD). The aim of this research is to introduce this Iskandarnama manuscript and analyze its paintings. In this regard, the following questions are answered: Which of the Iranian painting schools are the images of this Iskandarnāma most associated with, and what are the specific formal features of this manuscript? By examining the images in a descriptive-analytical manner, we conclude that this Iskandarnāma is probably a manuscript commissioned by a court or prince in the late Safavid period. From the uniformity of their images and lines, we can conclude that all the paintings were executed by a single painter and scribe. Its paintings and illuminations reflect the continuity of the artistic style of Herat and Isfahan school of that period. The writings are in Nastaliq script and were executed quickly. The illustrations are unsigned and the scenes of the story are faithful to the text. All elements such as plants, clothes, landscapes and animals are carefully designed.