Decorative Gold Bands
Decorative Gold Bands in 16th Century Persian Art
Decorative Gold Bands
The important part of a group effort such as the Haft Awrang of Jami is the spirit of teamwork and the specter of competition that it engenders. The artists are elevated by the exposure to each other and are challenged by the competitive nature of such an endeavor. I believe that the artists did better work as a group than if they had worked alone and that they learned from one another. What it also causes is very similar technique. I think that once we magnify the work small differences will allow us to discern styles.
The first group which I shall call Gold Band Group One. This is the group that I most closely identified with Abdullah. I think of this as an SN design. As I collect examples, I will try to refine the grouping.
Gold Band Group One

"Court Scene in a Garden," signed by Abdollah-e Mozahheb and dated 1581.

Signed Frontispiece Divan of Hafiz, 1581 - 1586, signed by Abdollah-e Mozahheb and dated 1581.

"Entering the capitol of Egypt," MSS plate 76.

"Frontispiece of the Shahname of Ferdowsi," Probably Shiraz (?), 1560.
This piece is problematic because it is very close to the work of Abdollah-e Mozahheb but not identical. This is from a book that has a number of works that are attributed to a man referred to as Painter A7 or Painter B8 (Shiraz).

"Timur enthroned," from a Shiraz Shahnama of 1523.

Soudavar, pg. 245

"Zafar-nama of Sharaf al-din Ali Yazdi," Tabriz 1529.
Gold Band Group Two

4 strand
Masnavi heading Folio of Salaman u Absal - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
FGA 46.12, Folio 182 B

4 strand
Masnavi heading Folio of Layli u Majnum - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 35

4 strand
Masnavi heading Folio of Khiradnama-i Iskandari - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 37
Gold Band Group Three

Masnavi heading Folio of Subhat al-abrar - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 33

Masnavi heading Folio of Silsilat al-dhahab - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 7

Masnavi heading Folio of Tufat al-ahrar - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 34

"Prince Drinking Wine," Tabriz Circa 1520.
Please note the Decorative Gold Bands in a miniature attributed to Shaykhzadeh.
The important part of a group effort such as the Haft Awrang of Jami is the spirit of teamwork and the specter of competition that it engenders. The artists are elevated by the exposure to each other and are challenged by the competitive nature of such an endeavor. I believe that the artists did better work as a group than if they had worked alone and that they learned from one another. What it also causes is very similar technique. I think that once we magnify the work small differences will allow us to discern styles.
The first group which I shall call Gold Band Group One. This is the group that I most closely identified with Abdullah. I think of this as an SN design. As I collect examples, I will try to refine the grouping.
Gold Band Group One

"Court Scene in a Garden," signed by Abdollah-e Mozahheb and dated 1581.

Signed Frontispiece Divan of Hafiz, 1581 - 1586, signed by Abdollah-e Mozahheb and dated 1581.

"Entering the capitol of Egypt," MSS plate 76.

"Frontispiece of the Shahname of Ferdowsi," Probably Shiraz (?), 1560.
This piece is problematic because it is very close to the work of Abdollah-e Mozahheb but not identical. This is from a book that has a number of works that are attributed to a man referred to as Painter A7 or Painter B8 (Shiraz).

"Timur enthroned," from a Shiraz Shahnama of 1523.

Soudavar, pg. 245

"Zafar-nama of Sharaf al-din Ali Yazdi," Tabriz 1529.
Gold Band Group Two

4 strand
Masnavi heading Folio of Salaman u Absal - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
FGA 46.12, Folio 182 B

4 strand
Masnavi heading Folio of Layli u Majnum - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 35

4 strand
Masnavi heading Folio of Khiradnama-i Iskandari - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 37
Gold Band Group Three

Masnavi heading Folio of Subhat al-abrar - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 33

Masnavi heading Folio of Silsilat al-dhahab - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 7

Masnavi heading Folio of Tufat al-ahrar - Haft Awrang of Jami`.
MSS plate 34

"Prince Drinking Wine," Tabriz Circa 1520.
Please note the Decorative Gold Bands in a miniature attributed to Shaykhzadeh.