Document Type : Original Article
Author
Department of Painting, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Throughout history, different weapon types have been used in warfare and hunting. In the paintings of the Khamsa Nizami version of 846 AH belonging to the Timurid period, kept in the British Library, images of various war weapons are depicted in several scenes. Due to the lack of war weapons left from the Timurid period, identifying the types of these tools in the paintings of the Khamsa Nizami version, the form, and the motifs used contribute to understanding the characteristics and features of the war weapons used in this historical period. The war weapons of the Timurid period have been reflected in the paintings left by the Khamsa Nizami. This research aims to identify and classify the weapons depicted in Khamsa Nizami paintings and to explore their representation and usage within these works. The questions of this research are: How are the war weapons represented and illustrated in the paintings of the Khamsa Nizami? What is the visual quality of war weapons in the paintings of Khamsa Nizami? This research utilizes a descriptive-analytical method and library resources. The selected samples are ten paintings from the version of Khamsa Nizami kept in the British Library from the late Timurid period. The results of the research show that in the paintings of the Khamsa Nizami version of 846 AH, various weapons are depicted in detail, including bows and arrows, archers, swords, shields, spears, helmets, armor, and legs, straps, and knee brace. These weapons are elegantly decorated with beautiful Islimi, Khataei, and animal motifs. Also, according to these paintings, various war weapons were used in the Timurid period; The Timurid Artisans were skilled in making different types of these tools. These artists also achieved immense progress in making war weapons compared to the industrialists of the previous periods, as reflected in the paintings of Khamsa Nizami 846 AH. In the Timurid period, there was a change and transformation in the industry of making war weapons. In this period, the artisans reached the peak of their skills by making steel tools and gilded decorations. This progress is evident in the paintings of the Timurid period, and this evolution is beautifully depicted and recorded in the paintings of this period. The painters of the Timurid period depicted the skill of metalsmiths in making various types of war weapons in their works. They presented the elements and components of war weapons in battle and hunting scenes with unparalleled skill and accuracy.
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