Rezvan E. Oriental Manuscripts of Karl Fabergé. II: Rāgamālā Miniatures of the Album (Muraqqa‘) (Part One) // Manuscripta Orientalia. Vol. 7. No. 2. June 2001. P. 36—45.
In a previous article in this series I described in short
manuscript X 3, undoubtedly the gem of Fabergé’s collection
of Eastern manuscripts. This is a so-called muraqqa‘ (Album), and its 38 folios (sg. lawḥ) present a series of miniatures
and calligraphy samples that originated in various regions
of the Middle East and India: some of the miniatures
betray obvious Ethiopian influence. In general, the Album reflects
the astonishing cultural symbiosis typical of India in
the era of the Great Moghūls. The muraqqa‘ folios bear
traces of the cultures, religions and traditions of the Greater
Indo-Turko-Iranian world. the Middle East, and Central Asia,
as well as China and Eastern Africa. The album’s large
scale (39.7 × 23.0 cm) folios present portraits of prominent
political figures and aristocrats. spiritual mentors and ordinary
people. It also presents scenes from private life and illustrations
to well-known literary works. Many of the Album
folios show beautiful. elegantly dressed. delicately depicted
female figures in various settings: it is clear why several of
them were chosen by the curators of the Tokyo Fuji Museum
of Art for an exhibition entitled Muses, Madonnas and Maidens.
500 years of the Female Image in East and West (Tokyo,
Fukuoka, Kobe, 01.11.2001 – 03.03.2002).
A significant part of the miniatures are linked
with special poetry collections – rāgamālā — that describe various musical tones in personified form. That
is why we decided to devote our second article to the
rāgamālā miniatures of muraqqa‘,which the Tsar’s jeweller
Karl Fabergé bought for his private collection around
century ago...
PDF-файлы
