DOI issue:
Nr. 333 (February 1925)
DOI article:Comstock, Helen: The romance of Amir Hamzah
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19984#0097
mceRriACionAL
the fallen hero before retreating
to Medina."
Hamzah himself does not
seem to figure in any of the illus-
trations which are reproduced
here. In a number of instances
the illustration has simply been
catalogued as a Mughal, Mogul
or Indo-Persian miniature of
about 1556, but in certain in-
stances a title is given to the
picture, as in the reproduction
in color of "Dr. Mozmahil Cur-
ing the Gypsies," which belongs
to the Brooklyn Museum.
Another of this Museum's min-
iatures is "Badi Emerging from
the Chest." Badi seems to be
the Joan of Arc of the time, for
it is recounted that she had over-
heard a conspiracy of some sort
while hidden in a chest and that
she emerged suddenly, fully
armed, and killed the conspi-
rators. Mr. Lewis' miniatures
show "A Conqueror Invading a
Harem," "The Conqueror on
the Throne Surrounded by His
Retainers" and "The Con-
queror at the Gate of a City.'
There is so much besides the
actual storv of Hamzah in the
„ 1" T f -II „«._„ AN ILLUSTRATION FROM THE ROMANCE OF AMIR HAMZAH
Romance that these lew illustia-
In the Museum oj tine Arts, Boston
tions do not pretend to present
an account of the narrative high-
lights in the story. For the technically minded, Indian miniatures has not been lacking in the
here is the description which the museums and Occident from very early days, although it has
collectors referred to attach to these paintings: never been so widespread as it seems now on the
"The Hamzah illustrations were the work of a point of becoming. The Literary Remains oj
small coterie of artists, Persians and Kalmucks, Albrecht Diirer, by W. M. Conway, mentions that
trained in the style of the late Timurid school, Diirer made an entry in his diary that some Portu-
who accompanied Humayun on his return from guese East Indian traders had presented him with
Persia to India in 1556 and subsequently as court "a child's head painted on linen, and a wooden
painters to Akbar the Great received unusual con- weapon from Calicut." Rembrandt acquired some
sideration and treatment. Each painting is exe- Indian miniatures of the early seventeenth cen-
cuted in tempera colors and gold on a page of tury and his copies of them in sepia line and wash
cotton fabric 28 3-4 inches long by 22 inches wide, on Japanese paper, a portrait of Jahangir is
the surface of which has been treated with a slip, among them, made about 1656, are now in the
or plaster, of lime and gum arabic and when dry British Museum. Sir Joshua Reynolds admired
polished with a smooth agate. The manuscript some of the Indian miniatures shown at the British
which appears on the reverse side of the page is Museum in July, 1777, while a more recent appre-
written in gold in Persian nastaliq, a round Per- ciation comes from William Morris whose delight
sian character composed of curved lines, on coarse, in them found tangible expression in some of his
thin paper of poor quality, previously pasted on designs for tapestry. They have also served as
the fabric." inspiration for the design of many contemporary
It is interesting to find that appreciation of textiles.
FEBRUARY 1 9 2 5
three fifty-seven
the fallen hero before retreating
to Medina."
Hamzah himself does not
seem to figure in any of the illus-
trations which are reproduced
here. In a number of instances
the illustration has simply been
catalogued as a Mughal, Mogul
or Indo-Persian miniature of
about 1556, but in certain in-
stances a title is given to the
picture, as in the reproduction
in color of "Dr. Mozmahil Cur-
ing the Gypsies," which belongs
to the Brooklyn Museum.
Another of this Museum's min-
iatures is "Badi Emerging from
the Chest." Badi seems to be
the Joan of Arc of the time, for
it is recounted that she had over-
heard a conspiracy of some sort
while hidden in a chest and that
she emerged suddenly, fully
armed, and killed the conspi-
rators. Mr. Lewis' miniatures
show "A Conqueror Invading a
Harem," "The Conqueror on
the Throne Surrounded by His
Retainers" and "The Con-
queror at the Gate of a City.'
There is so much besides the
actual storv of Hamzah in the
„ 1" T f -II „«._„ AN ILLUSTRATION FROM THE ROMANCE OF AMIR HAMZAH
Romance that these lew illustia-
In the Museum oj tine Arts, Boston
tions do not pretend to present
an account of the narrative high-
lights in the story. For the technically minded, Indian miniatures has not been lacking in the
here is the description which the museums and Occident from very early days, although it has
collectors referred to attach to these paintings: never been so widespread as it seems now on the
"The Hamzah illustrations were the work of a point of becoming. The Literary Remains oj
small coterie of artists, Persians and Kalmucks, Albrecht Diirer, by W. M. Conway, mentions that
trained in the style of the late Timurid school, Diirer made an entry in his diary that some Portu-
who accompanied Humayun on his return from guese East Indian traders had presented him with
Persia to India in 1556 and subsequently as court "a child's head painted on linen, and a wooden
painters to Akbar the Great received unusual con- weapon from Calicut." Rembrandt acquired some
sideration and treatment. Each painting is exe- Indian miniatures of the early seventeenth cen-
cuted in tempera colors and gold on a page of tury and his copies of them in sepia line and wash
cotton fabric 28 3-4 inches long by 22 inches wide, on Japanese paper, a portrait of Jahangir is
the surface of which has been treated with a slip, among them, made about 1656, are now in the
or plaster, of lime and gum arabic and when dry British Museum. Sir Joshua Reynolds admired
polished with a smooth agate. The manuscript some of the Indian miniatures shown at the British
which appears on the reverse side of the page is Museum in July, 1777, while a more recent appre-
written in gold in Persian nastaliq, a round Per- ciation comes from William Morris whose delight
sian character composed of curved lines, on coarse, in them found tangible expression in some of his
thin paper of poor quality, previously pasted on designs for tapestry. They have also served as
the fabric." inspiration for the design of many contemporary
It is interesting to find that appreciation of textiles.
FEBRUARY 1 9 2 5
three fifty-seven