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Lot Essay
This binding, once covering a non-religious Persian text such as an epic, is a notable example of early lacquered bookbinding. They are decorated with fantastic landscapes populated by a variety of Sino-Islamic creatures including hares, leopards, gazelles, phoenixes (or simurghs), monkeys, jackals, and a dragon. All the motifs are finely executed and outlined in gold on a black ground. Sadly, the doublures are lost, but they would have originally either been illuminated or decorated in découpé leather.
A series of lacquered book bindings produced in Herat at the court of the Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Mirza are the earliest surviving examples of the type and set the foundation for many features that continued throughout the history of this art form. Bookbinder's lacquer was decorated with miniature paintings or illumination and coated with a lustrous varnish known in Persian as rawghan-i kamàn ('bow gloss'). The varnish was not only used to protect the paintwork but was also an integral part of the decoration, contributing significantly to the object's rich aesthetic glow. Without this finish, these objects would have appeared as mere painted boards. The earliest lacquered book bindings were initially inspired by Chinese prototypes, particularly in terms of colour combinations. However, polychrome work in the Iranian style soon emerged and dominated, making bookbinder's lacquer distinct from its Far Eastern models. By the early 16th century, the Herati tradition of lacquer bindings spread to other centres in Iran, Central Asia, and Turkey, and by the end of the century, the technique was also practiced in India. During this period, bookbinder's lacquer began to be applied to other objects beyond book bindings.
Comparable bindings include those in the Khalili Collection (acc. No. MSS948), a binding in the National Art Library at the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc.no. 3393 & 3393A-1883 I.D.), and a similar binding sold in these Rooms 17 April 2007, lot 89.
A series of lacquered book bindings produced in Herat at the court of the Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Mirza are the earliest surviving examples of the type and set the foundation for many features that continued throughout the history of this art form. Bookbinder's lacquer was decorated with miniature paintings or illumination and coated with a lustrous varnish known in Persian as rawghan-i kamàn ('bow gloss'). The varnish was not only used to protect the paintwork but was also an integral part of the decoration, contributing significantly to the object's rich aesthetic glow. Without this finish, these objects would have appeared as mere painted boards. The earliest lacquered book bindings were initially inspired by Chinese prototypes, particularly in terms of colour combinations. However, polychrome work in the Iranian style soon emerged and dominated, making bookbinder's lacquer distinct from its Far Eastern models. By the early 16th century, the Herati tradition of lacquer bindings spread to other centres in Iran, Central Asia, and Turkey, and by the end of the century, the technique was also practiced in India. During this period, bookbinder's lacquer began to be applied to other objects beyond book bindings.
Comparable bindings include those in the Khalili Collection (acc. No. MSS948), a binding in the National Art Library at the Victoria & Albert Museum (acc.no. 3393 & 3393A-1883 I.D.), and a similar binding sold in these Rooms 17 April 2007, lot 89.