Aqquyunlu = “White Sheep” dynasty of Turkmens
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Taken from: http://dla.library.upenn.edu/
Lynda Gillard in Siyah Qalam: New Perspectives.
https://dlmenetwork.org/ar/library/catalog?q=TSM+H.+2153&search_field=all_fields
https://kimon.hosting.nyu.edu/sogdians/items/show/965
A PAIR OF MINIATURES FROM THE MISCELLANY COLLECTIONS OF TOPKAPI by E. ESIN in: Central Asiatic Journal, Vol. 21, No. 1 (1977), pp. 13-35 (27 pages)
Also called: Akkoyunlu Album or Ya'qub Beg Album or Fatih album (Istanbul: Topkapi Sarayi Museum)
In ms. Hazine 2152
A zebra is visible in this part of a miniature with right of it a unicorn; above a pelican; under an elephant and right a deer.
(E. Esin argues that two miniatures visibly taken from the same book depicts in one Kubilay Ka’an and the different officials of his court which he identifies with the description given by Marco Polo; and describes the second miniature as portraying a procession of Tribute Bearers to Kubilay Ka’an from Africa, India, etc…. The miniatures belong to the Budhist iconography of authentic masters of Hitay =Khitay; the immense territory between north-eastern Iran and Mongolia.)
In the second miniature, a pelican-like white bird is seen on the upper register. The exotic appearance of this bird and of the crowned monkey beside it, shown together with its keeper, recall Marco Polo’s reports on rare animals brought as gifts to Kubilay Ka’an from Madagascar, India and Abyssinia. A large cervine, a unicorn and a zebra-like equine have also been depicted on the upper register of our second miniature.
The unicorn on the upper register of the second miniature may figure here as an auspicious symbol, or perhaps in evocation of a gift of the precious unicorn's horn which was considered to have medicinal qualities. The zebra - like equine with white coat, striped with blue on the upper register of the second miniature could be interpreted as a wild horse a precious possession of Turkish kings, were sometimes described in fantastically multicoloured coats. The name Cagatay (wild ass) given to a son of Cinggis Ka'an shows the esteem in which these wild equines were held by Mongols. However, the striped equine shown on the second miniature may be an authentic zebra. It was reported (by F.W.K. Muller in Uigurica III, EDTF, I; p30) that a zebra had been brought as gift to Kubilay Ka’an from Madagscar.
A sketch made of the second miniature shows the procession of the Tribute Bearers.
In ms. Hazine 2153
Manuscript Hazine 2153 (Fatih Album), of the Saray Albums, Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul Turkey. The Diez albums from Berlin consist of pictures taken out of these original albums and donated to a German diplomat. The pictures collected in these albums come from different backgrounds
-Like in ms. Hazine 2153 some paintings are out of the Shahnama.
-Included are also early Italian Renaissance engravings an portraits (c. 1460–80) and Chinese paintings and paintings influenced by European or Chinese art.
-Just over sixty paintings of humans and demons, many of which bear ascriptions of the unidentified artist Mohammad-e Sitah Qalam (The Black Pen), and which are now mostly housed in albums Hazine 2153 and Hazine 2160 in the Topkapı Palace Library. These sixty paintings can be thematically divided into two groups: religious depictions (=demons + religious people and happenings) and scenes from the life of the nomads. Siyah Qalam was most probably active in the border area Iran-Turkmenistan around 1400. There are also several hundred other paintings belonging to the same school or at least are influenced by it those might be of a bit later date.
- As for H. 2153 it was put together in the Ottoman court workshop shortly after 1514, and originated mainly from the booty taken when conquering Tabriz.
Hazine 2153, folio 95b depicts pairs of animals, such as giraffes and camels, it must be a fragment of an unfinished scroll, painter unknown. If it weren't for the giraffes this painting would absolutely be a Chinese piece of art. Of this painting Jay A. Levenson writes in his 'Circa 1492': The Bahmanid (W India) Embassy of 1471 to Aqqoyunlu Tabriz described by the Venetian Josafa Barbaro brought a whole menagerie: a lion, a tiger, a giraffe, civet-cats, and parakeets; as well as fine muslins and calicoes; sandalwood, aloeswood, and gems: and porcelains to add to Uzun Hasan’s already fine collection. This charming scroll fragment in the Topkapi Saray Library showing a gamboling giraffe in a deep blue embroidered jacket may be a record of this embassy.
THE FOLLOWING PAINTINGS OUT OF MS HAZINE 2153 and 2160 SHOW BLACK PEOPLE AND SEVERAL RECENT AUTHORS STRONGLY DEFEND (MOST) OF THEM BEING AFRICAN. I WILL ANALYZE THEM AND PROVE THEY ARE NOT.
R. Hillenbrand, The Image of the Black in Islamic Art: The Case of Painting', in The Image of the Black in African and Asian Art, eds D. Bindman, S. P. Blier, and H. L. Gates, (Cambridge, Mass., 2017), 215-53. In this article Hillenbrand gives a very lively description of the pictures showing black people in Hazine 2153 and calls the figures or black men or Africans.
Lynda Gillard in Siyah Qalam: New Perspectives. In her article she writes:' None of the white figures have any distinguishing racial characteristics, while the black figures seem to be African (pl. 7) and Indian.'
Paintings Influenced by Siyah Qalam
Both scroll fragments, of a procession taking a Chinese princess to her marriage with a nomadic headman (to protect the silk-road).
The armed man is part of the
guards (Hazine 2153, folio 3b-4a), the others hang around a carriage carrying porcelain. (Hazine 2153, folio 130a).
The two pictures are taken from the painting called: Monastery Scene (Buddhist).
Lynda Gillard (in Siyah Qalam: New Perspectives) argues that the thin black figures with long hair could be Indian Buddhists.
Hazini 2153 folio 124a. This painting is called: Group of Figures in Transit. The travelers are the couple with children dressed to stand the cold. The two black people are most probably belonging to a Sufi-Dervish sect close by as they are not equipped to travel. One is carrying a book (Coran) in ms 2160 also a holy man is seen carrying a book.
All following paintings come from that same ms Hazine 2153 but the painter is known:
Muhammad Siyah Qalam
He painted demons and semi clad people and fully clad nomadic people. The first two groups make up a religious theme with the semi clad people being identified as Sufi Dervishes.
Emel Esin and Beyham Karamagli are among those who identify them as Sufi dervishes who went barefoot, wore few clothes and let a life of constant travelling and enforced poverty.
Emel Esin: Muhammad Siyah Qalam and the Inner Asian Tradition; Colloquies p90-108.
B. Karamagarali; The Siyah Qalam paintings and their relation to esoteric Muslim sects in Colloquies p106-109.
Between China and Iran, Ed. J. Grube and E.G. Sims, Colloquies on Art & Archaeology in Asia, No. 10.
In ms. Hazine 2160
a Black Sorcerer.
The pictures given for this ms are showing influence of the school of Siyah Qalam. The picture of the Blue Women shows Chinese influence (she is wearing Chinese wooden sandals) and the Black
Person in the back is a religious man (Sufi Dervish) carrying most probably a Coran.
Also note that in the first and second picture the black person is wearing the same cloths.
This picture which must be a later addition to the album is dressed in the European way (after 1500). He carries a Chinese bowl and was probably a servant to the upper class.
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This last picture is not from any of the mentioned manuscripts but from the Cleveland Museum of Arts. I added it as it is also from Siyah Qalam and shows a demon.
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Note on: The Silk Road Black People.
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The earliest indication of Black people (hei-se-ren) in China seems to be in Juyan Han Jian. (Juyan Han Jian from 102 B.C. to 30 A.D. comprises government archives discovered in Juyan, Northwestern China, “Han” indicates Han Dynasty, “Jian” means records kept (through sculpture) in wood or bamboo.)
Sixty pieces of Juyan Han Jian recorded individuals with their identity, such as jun (as prefecture, unit above county), xian (county), li (grassroots unit), rank, age, height and skin color. With height and skin color as identity elements, it is possible to understand the physical features of individuals at the time. According to Zhang’s study (1), 55 cases with skin color are identified among 60 individual cases, and 53 recorded as “black”. In addition, one was labeled “brown black” and another “yellow black”.
Among 25 cases of the black-skinned people in the records of birth place or origin, 17 were from the Hexi area. The height of the Black people was generally 165.6-177.1cm, taller than ordinary Chinese (161.2-167.6cm). (Yang Ximei)(2)
Note: Zhang concluded from his study that these black people where Chinese coming from all over the country. But Yang concluded it must have been foreigners coming from further west.
Note: For paintings of black people in the caves of Kizil; Dunhuang; Yulin see my webpage of Dunhuang (847)
(1) Zhang Xinglang (Chang Hsinglang), ed., Zhu Jieqing, revised. (1977[1930]) Zhongxi jiaotong shiliao huibian, vol.2, Zhonghua shuju.
(2) Yang Ximei (1995) Xianqin Wenhua Shi Lunji (Collection on Cultural History in Pre-Qin Period), Beijing: China Social Sciences Press.
On Top a map from the eastern part of the silk road. They give an (incomplete) list of places where paintings (or written proof) of Black People were found. As there are so many paintings I do not think these people can be from Africa. So this collection I made to argue against all authors who state they are, or can be.
-Hexi Corridor records from Juyan Han Jian 120BC to 30AD.
-Kizil caves 250-800AD
-Mogao caves at Dunhuang 781-847 AD.
-Yulin cave 900-1279AD
-Tribute Bearers by Ren Bowen copy from 1350AD.
-Siyah Qalam paintings and scroll about Chinese Princess 1400AD.
Note: the paintings of Black People in the caves are on my webpage for Dunhuang 847AD.
Black people in the Hazine 2153 ms. from around 1400 AD
Hazine 2153, p. 101a and p. 23a and under p.82b and Cleveland museum of arts.
Black people in the painting: Tribute Bearers (to the Chinese Emperor) by Ren Bowen (ca. mid-14th century) Yuan dynasty copy of Tang-era.
