"Bazur, the Magician, Raises up Darkness and a Storm", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) 1405 - 1465

This folio, “Bazur, the Magician, Raises up Darkness and a Storm,” comes from a Shahnama, or Book of Kings, created around the turn of the first millennium. The materials are relatively straightforward: ink and opaque watercolor on paper, yet their application is intensely considered. Note the tight, controlled linework throughout, and the carefully gradated areas of color. The cumulative effect is mesmerizing, holding our attention to the surface of the page, even while depicting a dramatic scene of battle and sorcery. This miniature tradition depended on highly skilled artists, working collaboratively to create illustrated manuscripts. Books like the Shahnama were luxury objects. The patron, or commissioner, of this artwork would have been a wealthy individual or royal family. The production process would have involved a hierarchy of labor, with master artists overseeing the work of apprentices and assistants. Appreciating the labor and materials involved allows us to consider the manuscript not just as an artwork, but as a cultural object deeply embedded in the society that produced it.