A Family or a Workshop? Tracing a Group of Calligraphers Between Samarkand and Bukhara at the Turn of the 17th Century
Résumé
The analysis of five manuscripts of the Persian Shāhnāma epics produced in Samarkand within a short period of five years (1600-1604) transcribed by two calligraphers, who at least once worked in collaboration, opens up an interesting field of investigation. Each of these calligraphers, Ādīna Bukhārī (fl. 1595-1605) and Mīr Māh b. Mīr ‘Arab (fl. 1592-1613), also copied other literary texts in Persian. The latter copyist was a family relation of a renowned court calligrapher of the Shibanid rulers of Bukhara, Mīr Kulangī (fl. ca. 1535-1585) who was himself also specialized in the copy of Persian classical literature; more then 30 manuscripts by his hand are extant today. The present talk will touch upon the issues of the actual organization and practices of manuscript transmission, aspects of specialization (authors, texts, subjects), and the importance of family and professional reference figure.