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Persian Miniature Painting

Type Object Region Persia Time c. 1100–1600

Persian miniature painting is a tradition of Islamic manuscript illustration and album painting, renowned for fine lines, vivid mineral pigments, and…

Timeline

  1. c. 1100–1200Mosul and Diyarbakir · JaziraThe Jazira school developed symmetrical composition, plant ornamentation, and figure profile conventions in manuscripts, fusing Byzantine and Persian iconographic elements and providing technical transmission to the Baghdad school.
  2. c. 1200–1230Baghdad · Abbasid CaliphateUnder Abbasid court and scriptorium patronage, Baghdad painters illustrated scientific manuscripts, epics, and historical works with refined lines and bright colors, forming a pre-Mongol miniature style distinct from earlier periods.
  3. 1231–1240Baghdad and Damascus · Western AsiaAs Mongol military pressure approached, the Baghdad and Damascus scriptoria still produced illustrated manuscripts; miniature techniques spread to Syria and Anatolia through painter migration, preparing for the fusion of Chinese styles in the Ilkhanate period.

Sources