Morgan Library, MS M.500

The M.500 ''Manafi'-i hayavan is one of the earliest surviving illustrated manuscripts from the reign of the Mongol ruler Ghazan (r. 1295-1304). The colophon states that it was written in Maragheh, Iran, in 699 or 697 AH. The original text was composed in Baghdad and written in Arabic. It was then translated into Persian by ʻAbd al-Hādī ibn Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd ibn Ibrahīm al-Marāghī at the command of Ghazan. As Shams al-Din is named as the patron, it is unlikely that this copy is the original first translation. It is possible, however, that the M.500 Manafi'-i hayavan'' animal depictions were traced from larger miniatures belonging to the royal copy, which had bigger folios. == Paintings ==

The paintings of this manuscript ''‘Manafi'-i hayavan’ '' have a distinctive style. They consist of animals set among stylized landscape features. The trees and water are not directly drawn from nature, instead, they are composed of stylized vegetation that is placed in a decorative pattern on the stems. Additionally, the majority of the miniatures in the Morgan Library are framed, and the background vegetation is depicted with scant naturalism. Most paintings reflect earlier Mesopotamian and Arab styles but several also display a new feature, Chinese influence. == Arab style paintings ==

The horizon in Figures 1-2 consists only of a grassy ground, and the background shows stylized trees as well as birds, which are common in earlier Arab paintings. However, the animal bodies in both paintings are drawn in a more calligraphical, naturalistic Chinese style painting. File:Arabischer Maler um 1295 001.jpg|Figure 1. Two elephants, ''Manafi'-i hayavan'' in the background, birds in flowering plants, by Ibn Bakhtishu, 1295. The Morgan Library and Museum, NY File:Ibn Bukhtishu - Manafi' al-Hayawan - Folio II Recto.png|Figure 2. Seated lion behind reclining lioness, ''Manafi'-i hayavan,'' from the Bestiary of Ibn Bakhtishu, Maragha, 1298 ==Chinese influence==

Persian painting now started to use a technique that was previously common in China in which the frame cut off elements within it, as if looking through a window. An example of this can be found in "A mare followed by a stallion," from '''Manafi'-i hayavan’,'' 1297–1299, Maragha. (Figure 3). Unlike earlier Arab paintings, the frame now cuts off the scene from the viewer. Other Chinese influences include the use of multiple horizons and the detailed depiction of the knotted trunk of the tree. == References ==