Persian Miniature Painting Tradition

Timeline

1. 1100–1150Baghdad and Isfahan · BaghdadScribe and illustration workshops under Seljuk patronage produced illustrations for epics such as the Shahnameh and scientific works, using fine line work, flat color blocks, and border ornament, forming a precursor style of Persian book art that influenced the crystallization of Ilkhanid miniature painting.
2. 1161–1170Iranian Plateau · PersiaBetween 1161 and 1170, post-Seljuk dynasties still patronized manuscript production; illustrations mainly featured decorative figures and borders, not yet reaching the narrative complexity of 13th-century miniatures, but bookbinding and pigment craftsmanship were inherited by later Persian painting traditions.