Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 14. (Budapest, 1994)
DOBROVITS Mihály: Egy Kába-miniatúrával díszített XVIII. századi török kézirat a Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeumból
MIHÁLY DOBROVITS AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TURKISH MANUSCRIPT WITH KABA MINIATURE FROM THE FERENC HOPP MUSEUM OF EASTERN ASIATIC ARTS The period of the late eighteenth century is not regarded as belonging among the greater epochs of Ottoman Art. The experts consider it a period of decline when Western influences are reflected more than necessary, instead of the use of their own Ottoman traditions. 1 In the present paper I should like to call attention to the fact that even in this period works were created that were able to represent Eastern traditions and Western technical innovations in a common artistic programme which continued the best tradictions of the „Period of Tulipes" (1703-1730) dominant during the first third of the eighteenth century. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, strict Islamic law already permitted the printing of Turkish texts using Arabic script, besides the printing of books in the Greek, Armenian and Hebrew scripts which enjoyed great traditions by this time. Despite this permission, manuscript copying proved to be the most widespread method of book production up to the nineteenth century. This fact, which left the Ottoman capital without an Arabic script printing house in the decades after IBRAHIM MUTEFERRIKA' s death stemmed not just from the fundamental conservatism of society. Copying manuscript books assured a living for many scribes who covered the costs of their studies from the money they earned in this way. 2 This made manuscript books relatively cheap and their purchase a meritorious deed. Nevertheless, it proved to be more important that the civilization of Islam had created a refined decorative art, the roots of which were linked by several ties to the Arabic script considered sacred in most periods since the rules of religion prohibited to use monumental figurative art, and this practice began to diminish in the second half of the 19th century. Beside the artistic forms of calligraphy, ornamental inscriptions and arabesque, the bookmaker" s art and miniature painting as a part of it belong here among the Islamic decorative arts. 3 Manuscripts of high artistic standard were produced with minute care. The paper, mostly imported into the Ottoman Empire 4 , was first lacquered. This procedure protected the material from the damage from moisture and prevented the ink of vegetal origin and the coloured or golden paint from flowing off. After this, the creation of the manuscript was continued by shaping the form. In most cases the places of lines and frames were drawn with „blind" lines. The calligraphcr hatját set to work after this and he copied the text using the corresponding type of Arabic script. This was followed by the redrawing and gilding of the outer frames (tezhih). The painter of the miniatures {naqqäS, ressäm) now set to work. All such masters were well paid, professional artists who could do their work after several years of training and with a relevant diploma (icäze). 5 These more expensive individual pieces of art have exceeded the quality attainable using the printing techniques of the period. Their work was crowned by the did, the binding with decorated blind printing (ill. I.). 6
