bookofkhidr
Dala’il al Khayrāt, Kashmir, late 18th century, picture courtesy Christie’s | Book of Khidr
Illuminated bifolio of Dala’il al Khayrāt compiled by Al Jazuli, featuring two illustrations of the two holy cities of Makkah (left) and Madinah (right) copied in Kashmir in the late 18th century, Arabic manuscript, opaque watercolour, gold, and ink on paper. Please check previous post and caption/notes re: Dala’il al Khayrāt and Al Jazuli. How beautiful are these illustrations (and the colour palette)? The history of the art of illuminating and illustrating manuscripts is as old as the history of the manuscript/book itself. I’m fascinated by the Kashmir school of book illustration that developed from the 17th century to the 19th century. I can recognise a Kashmiri 17th-19th century illuminated illustration by heart, from the colour palette, the gentle brush strokes, and how it makes me feel. Like in the bifolio shared in the previous post, elements of Kashmiri style and characteristics of the Kashmiri Dala’il al Khayrāt copies are present here too: two dimensional style, rectangular fields, gold and polychrome illuminated margins, concentric composition (here, too, the keyhole motif encloses the Kaaba), intricate details, elaborate geometrical borders (illuminated floral margins throughout the manuscript), colours typical of the Kashmiri rich palette (albeit delicate and ethereal in this one), and the pictorial traditions of that specific space and time, for ex for Madinah (right): the minbar, the three tombs (Prophet’s ﷺ tomb and two of his companions a.s), the tomb of Prophet’s daughter Fatima (as) represented as a domed structure and the palm tree she planted while her father was alive. Notes from my research / picture courtesy Christie’s.
Dala’il al Khayrāt, Kashmir, late 18th century, picture courtesy Christie’s | Book of Khidr
Illuminated bifolio of Dala’il al Khayrāt compiled by Al Jazuli, featuring two illustrations of the two holy cities of Makkah (left) and Madinah (right) copied in Kashmir in the late 18th century, Arabic manuscript, opaque watercolour, gold, and ink on paper. Please check previous post and caption/notes re: Dala’il al Khayrāt and Al Jazuli. How beautiful are these illustrations (and the colour palette)? The history of the art of illuminating and illustrating manuscripts is as old as the history of the manuscript/book itself. I’m fascinated by the Kashmir school of book illustration that developed from the 17th century to the 19th century. I can recognise a Kashmiri 17th-19th century illuminated illustration by heart, from the colour palette, the gentle brush strokes, and how it makes me feel. Like in the bifolio shared in the previous post, elements of Kashmiri style and characteristics of the Kashmiri Dala’il al Khayrāt copies are present here too: two dimensional style, rectangular fields, gold and polychrome illuminated margins, concentric composition (here, too, the keyhole motif encloses the Kaaba), intricate details, elaborate geometrical borders (illuminated floral margins throughout the manuscript), colours typical of the Kashmiri rich palette (albeit delicate and ethereal in this one), and the pictorial traditions of that specific space and time, for ex for Madinah (right): the minbar, the three tombs (Prophet’s ﷺ tomb and two of his companions a.s), the tomb of Prophet’s daughter Fatima (as) represented as a domed structure and the palm tree she planted while her father was alive. Notes from my research / picture courtesy Christie’s.