章节目录 I AM CALLED “STORK”

(88106 www.88106.info)    AtaboutthetimeofmiddayprayerIheardaknockatthedoor.ItwasBlackfromlongago,fromourchildhood.Weembraced.HewaschillandIinvitedhiminside.Ididn’tevenaskhowhe’dfoundhiswaytothehouse.HisEnishtemusthavesenthimtoquestionmeaboutElegantEffendi’sabsenceandhiswhereabouts.Notonlythat,healsobroughtwordfromMasterOsman.“Allowmetoaskyouaquestion,”hesaid.“AccordingtoMasterOsman,”time“separatesatrueminiaturistfromothers:Thetimeoftheillustration.”Whatweremythoughts?Listenclosely.

    PaintingandTimeLongago,asiscommonknowledge,theillustratorsofourIslamicrealm,including,forexample,theoldArabmasters,perceivingtheworldthewayFrankishinfidelsdotoday,wouldregardeverythinganddepictitfromthelevelofavagabond,muttorclerkatworkinhisshop.Unawareoftoday’sperspectival

    techniques,ofwhichtheFrankishmastershaughtilyboast,theirworldremaineddullandlimited,restrictedtothesimpleperspectiveofthemuttortheshopclerk.Thenagreateventcametopassandourentireworldofillustrationchanged.Letmebeginhere.

    ThreeStoriesonPaintingandTimeALIFThreehundredfiftyyearsago,whenBaghdadfelltotheMongolsandwasmercilesslyplunderedonacolddayinthemonthofSafar,IbnShakirwasthemostrenownedandproficientcalligrapherandscribenotonlyofthewholeArabworldbutofallIslamdom;despitehisyouth,hehadtranscribedtwenty-twovolumes,mostofwhichwereKoransandcouldbefoundintheworld-famouslibrariesofBaghdad.IbnShakirbelievedthesebookswouldlastuntiltheendoftheworld,and,therefore,livedwithadeepandinfinitenotionoftime.He’dtoiledheroicallyallthroughthenightbyflickeringcandlelightonthelastofthoselegendarybooks,whichareunknowntoustodaybecauseinthespanofafewdays,theywereonebyornup,shredded,burnedandtossedintotheTigrisRiverbythesoldiersoftheMongolKhanHulagu.JustasthemasterArabcalligraphers,commitedtothenotionoftheendlesspersistenceoftraditionandbooks,hadforfivecenturiesbeeninthehabitofrestingtheireyesasaprecautionagainstblindnessbyturningtheirbackstotherisingsunandlookingtowardthewesternhorizon,IbnShakirascendedtheminaretoftheCaliphetMosqueinthecoolnessofmorning,andfromthebalconywherethemuezzincalledthefaithfultoprayer,witnessedallthatwouldendafive-centuries-longtraditionofscribalart.First,hesawHulagu’spitilesssoldiersenterBaghdad,andyetheremainedwherehewasatoptheminaret.Hewatchedtheplunderanddestructionoftheentirecity,theslaughterofhundredsofthousandsofpeople,thekillingofthelastoftheCaliphsofIslamwho’druledBaghdadforhalfamillennium,therapeofwomen,theburningoflibrariesandthedestructionoftensofthousandsofvolumesastheywerethrownintotheTigris.Twodayslater,amidthestenchofcorpsesandcriesofdeath,hewatchedtheflowingwatersoftheTigris,turnedredfromtheinkbleedingoutofthebooks,andhethoughtabouthowallthosevolumeshe’dtranscribedinbeautifulscript,thosebooksthatwerenowgone,hadn’tintheleastservedtostopthishorrifyingmassacreanddevastation,andinturn,hesworenevertowriteagain.Furthermore,hewasstruckwiththedesiretoexpresshispainandthedisasterhe’dwitnessedthroughpainting,whichuntilthatday,he’dbelittledanddeemedanaffronttoAllah;andso,makinguseofthepaperhealwayscarriedwithhim,hedepictedwhathesawfromthetopoftheminaret.Weowethehappymiracleofthethree-hundred-yearrenaissanceinIslamicillustrationfollowingtheMongolinvasiontothatelementwhichdistinguisheditfromtheartistryofpagansandChristians;thatis,tothetrulyagonizingdepictionoftheworldfromanelevatedGodlikepositionattainedbydrawingnoneotherthanahorizonline.Weowethisrenaissancetothehorizonline,andalsotoIbnShakir’sgoingnorthafterthemassacrehewitnessed—inthedirectiontheMongolarmieshadcomefrom—carryingwithhimhispaintingsandtheambitionforillustrationinhisheart;inbrief,weowemuchtohislearningthepaintingtechniquesoftheChinesemasters.Thereby,itisevidentthatthenotionofendlesstimethathadrestedintheheartsofArabcalligrapher-scribesforfivehundredyearswouldfinallymanifestitselfnotinwriting,butinpainting.TheproofofthisresidesinthefactthattheillustrationsinmanuscriptsandvolumesthathadbeentornapartandvanishedhavepassedintootherbooksandothervolumestosurviveforeverintheirrevelationofAllah’sworldlyrealm.

    BAOnceuponatime,notsoverylongagoyetnotsorecently,everythingimitatedeverythingelse,andthus,ifnotforaginganddeath,manwould’veneverbeenthewiseraboutthepassageoftime.Yes,whentheworldlyrealmwasrepeatedlypresentedthroughthesamestoriesandpictures,asiftimedidnotflow,FahirShah’ssmallarmyroutedSelahattinKhan’ssoldiers—asSalimofSamarkand’sconciseHistoryattests.AfterthevictorousFahirShahcapturedSelahattinKhanandtorturedhimtodeath,hisfirsttaskinassertinghissovereignty,accordingtocustom,wastovisitthelibraryandtheharemofthevanquishedkhan.Inthelibrary,thelateSelahattinKhan’sexperiencedbinderpulledapartthedeadshah’sbooks,andrearrangingthepages,begantoassemblenewvolumes.Hiscalligraphersreplacedtheepithetof“AlwaysVictoriousSelahattinKhan”withthatof“VictoriousFahirShah”andhisminiaturistssetaboutreplacingthelateSelahattinKhan—masterfullyportrayedonthemostbeautifulofmanuscriptpages—whowas,asofthatmoment,startingtofadefrompeople’smemories,withtheportraitoftheyoungerFahirShah.Uponenteringtheharem,FahirShahhadnodifficultyinlocatingthemostbeautifulwomanthere,yetinsteadofforcinghimselfuponher,becausehewasarefinedmanversedinbooksandartistry,andresolvingtowinherheart,heengagedherinconversation.Consequently,NerimanSultan,thelateSelahattinKhan’sbelleofbeauties,histeary-eyedwife,madebutonerequestofFahirShah:thattheillustrationofherhusbandinaversionoftheromanceLeylaandMejnun,whereinLeylawasdepictedasNerimanSultanandMejnunasSelahattinKhan,notbealtered.Inatleastthisonepage,shemaintained,theimmortalitythatherhusbandhadtriedtoattainovertheyearsthroughbooksshouldnotbedenied.ThevictoriousFahirShahbravelygrantedthissimplerequestandhismastersofthebookleftthatonepicturealone.Thereby,NerimanandFahirimmediatelymadeloveandwithinashortperiod,forgettingthehorrorsofthepast,cametotrulyloveeachother.Still,FahirShahcouldnotforgetthatpictureinLeylaandMejnun.Nay,itwasn’tjealousythatmadehimuneasyorthathiswifewasportrayedwithheroldhusband.Whatgnawedathimwasthis:Sincehewasn’tpaintedintheoldlegendinthatsplendidbook,hewouldn’tbeabletojointheranksoftheimmortalswithhiswife.ThiswormofdoubtateatFahirShahforfiveyears,andattheendofablissfulnightofcopiouslovemakingwithNeriman,candlestickinhand,heenteredthelibrarylikeacommonthief,openedthevolumeofLeylaandMejnun,andinplaceofthefaceofNeriman’slatehusband,drewhisown.Likemanykhanswhohadaloveforillustratingandpainting,however,hewasanamateurartistandcouldn’tportrayhimselfverywell.Inthemorning,whenhislibrarianopenedthebookonasuspicionoftamperingandbeheldanotherfigureinplaceofthelateSelahattinKhan,nexttoNeriman-facedLeyla,ratherthanidentifyingitasFahirShah,heannouncedthatitwasFahirShah’sarchenemy,theyoungandhandsomeAbdullahShah.ThisgossipprovokedFahirShah’ssoldiersandemboldenedAbdullahShah,theyoungandaggressivenewruleroftheneighboringcountry,who,subsequently,inhisfirstcampaign,defeated,capturedandkilledFahirShah,establishedhisownsovereigntyoverhisenemy’slibraryandharemandbecamethenewhusbandoftheeternallybeautifulNerimanSultan.

    DJIMTheminiaturistsofIstanbulrecountthelegendofTallMehmet—knownasMuhammadKhorasaniinPersia—mostlyasanexampleoflonglifeandblindness.However,thelegendofTallMehmetis

    essentiallyaparableofpaintingandtime.Theprimarydistinctionofthismaster,who,havingbegunhisapprenticeshipattheageofnine,illustratedformoreorless110yearswithoutgoingblind,washislackofdistinction.I’mnotbeingwittyhere,butexpressingmysincereadmiration.TallMehmetdreweverything,aseveryoneelsedid,inthestyleofthegreatmastersofold,butevenmoreso,andforthisreason,hewasthegreatestofallmasters.Hishumblenessandcompletedevotiontoillustrationandpainting,whichhedeemedaservicetoAllah,sethimaboveboththedisputeswithinthebook-artsworkshopswhereheworkedandtheambitiontobecomeheadminiaturist,thoughhewasofappropriateageandtalent.Asaminiaturist,for110years,hepatientlyrenderedeverytrivialdetail:grassdrawntofilluptheedgesofthepage,thousandsofleaves,curlywispingclouds,horsemanesofshortrepetitivestrokes,brickwalls,never-endingwallornamentationandtheslant-eyed,delicate-chinnedtensofthousandsoffacesthatwereeachanimitationofoneanother.TallMehmetwasquitecontentandreservedandheneverpresumedtodistinguishhimselforinsistedaboutstyleorindividuality.Heconsideredwhicheverkhan’sorprince’sworkshophehappenedtobeworkinginatthetimehishouseandregardedhimselfasbutafixtureinthathome.Askhansandshahsstrangledoneanotherandminiaturistsmovedfromcitytocitylikethewomenoftheharemtoassembleundertheauspicesofnewmasters,thestyleofthenewbook-artsworkshopwouldfirstbedefinedintheleavesTallMehmetdrew,inhisgrass,inthecurvesofhisrocksandinthehiddencontoursofhisownpatience.Whenhewaseightyyearsold,peopleforgotthathewasmortalandbegantobelievethathelivedwithinthelegendsheillustrated.Perhapsforthisreason,somemaintainedthatheexistedoutsidetimeandwouldnevergrowoldanddie.Therewerethosewhoattributedhisnotgoingblind—despitelivingwithoutahomeofhisown,sleepingintheroomsortentswhichconstitutedminiaturists’workshopsandspendingmostofhistimestaringatmanuscriptpages—tothemiracleoftimehavingceasedtoflowforhim.Someclaimedthathewasactuallyblind,andnolongerhadanyneedtoseesincehepaintedfrommemory.Attheageof119,thislegendarymasterwho’dnevermarriedandhadneverevenmadelove,mettheflesh-and-bloodidealofthebeautifulslant-eyed,sharp-chinned,moon-facedboyhe’ddepictedforacentury:apart-Chinesepart-Croatiansixteen-year-oldapprenticeinShahTahmasp’sminiaturists’workshop,withwhomquiteabruptlyandunderstandably,hefellinlove.Inordertoseducethisboy-apprenticeofunimaginablebeauty,asatrueloverwoulddo,heschemedandjoinedinpowerstrugglesbetweenminiaturists;hegavehimselfovertolying,deceptionandtrickery.Atfirst,themasterminiaturistofKhorasanwasinvigoratedbyhisattemptstocatchuptotheartisticfashionshe’dsuccessfullyavoidedforonehundredyears,butthiseffortalsodivorcedhimfromtheeternallegendarydaysofold.Lateoneafternoon,staringdreamilyatthebeautifulapprenticebeforeanopenwindow,hecaughtcoldintheicyTabrizwind.Thefollowingday,duringafitofsneezing,hewentcompletelyblind.Twodayslater,hefelldowntheloftystoneworkshopstairsanddied.

    “I’veheardthenameofTallMehmetofKhorasan,butI’veneverheardthislegend,”Blacksaid.

    HedelicatelyofferedthiscommenttoshowheknewthestorywasfinishedandhismindwasoccupiedwithwhatI’drelated.Ifellsilentforatimesohecouldstareatmetohisheart’scontent.Sinceitbothersmewhenmyhandsarenotoccupied,justafterbeginningthesecondstory,Istartedtopaintagain,pickingupwhereI’dleftoffwhenBlackknockedonthedoor.MycomelyapprenticeMahmut,whoalwayssatatmykneeandmixedmypaints,sharpenedmyreedpensandsometimeserasedmyerrors,silentlysatbesideme,listeningandstaring;fromwithinthehousethesoundsofmywife’s

    movementscouldbeheard.

    “Aahaa,”saidBlack,“theSultanhasarisen.”

    Hestaredatthepaintingwithawe,andIpretendedthereasonforhisawewasinsignificant,butletmetellyoucandidly:OurExaltedSultanappearsseatedinalltwohundredofourcircumcisionceremonypicturesintheBookofFestivities,watchingforfifty-twodaysthepassingofthemerchants,guilds,spectators,soldiersandprisonersfromthewindowoftheroyalenclosureerectedfortheoccasion.OnlyinonepictureofmineisHeshownonfoot,tossingmoneyfromflorin-filledpouchestothecrowdsinthesquare.Myaimwastocapturethesurpriseandexcitementofthecrowdspunching,kickingandstranglingoneanotherastheyscrambledtograbcoinsofftheground,theirassesjuttingtowardthesky.

    “Ifloveispartofthesubjectofthepainting,theworkoughttoberenderedwithlove,”Isaid.“Ifthere’spaininvolved,painshouldissuefromthepainting.Yetthepainoughttoemergefromtheatfirstglanceinvisibleyetdiscernibleinnerharmonyofthepicture,notfromthefiguresintheillustrationorfromtheirtears.Ididn’tdepictsurprise,asithasbeenshownforcenturiesbyhundredsofmasterminiaturists,asafigurewithhisindexfingerinsertedintothecircleofhismouth,butmadethewholepaintingembodysurprise.This,IaccomplishedbyinvitingtheSovereigntorisetoHisfeet.”

    Iwasintriguedandbotheredbyhowhescrutinizedmypossessionsandillustratingtools,naymywholelife,lookingforaclue;andthen,Ibegantoseemyownhousethroughhiseyes.

    Youknowthosepalace,hamamandcastlepicturesthatweremadeinTabrizandShirazforatime;sothatthepicturemightreplicatethepiercinggazeofExaltedAllah,whoseesandunderstandsall,theminiaturistwoulddepictthepalaceincross-sectionasthoughhavingcutitinhalfwithahuge,magicalstraightrazor,andhe’dpaintalltheinteriordetails—whichcouldotherwiseneverbeseenfromoutside—downtothepotsandpans,drinkingglasses,wallornamentation,curtains,cagedparrots,themostprivatecorners,andthepillowsonwhichreclinedalovelymaidensuchashadneverseenthelightofday.Likeacuriousawestruckreader,Blackwasexaminingmypaints,mypapers,mybooks,mylovelyassistant,thepagesofaBookofCostumesandthecollagealbumthatI’dmadeforaFrankishtraveler,scenesof**ingandotherindecentpagesI’dsecretlydashedoffforapasha,myinkpotsofvariouslycoloredglass,bronzeandceramic,myivorypenknives,mygold-stemmedbrushes,andyes,theglancesofmyhandsomeapprentice.

    “Unliketheoldmasters,I’veseenalotofbattle,alot,”Isaidtofillthesilencewithmypresence.“Warmachines,cannonballs,armies,corpses;itwasIwhoembellishedtheceilingsofthetentsofOurSultanandourgenerals.Afteramilitarycampaign,uponreturningtoIstanbul,itwasIwhorecordedinpicturesthescenesofbattlethateveryonewouldotherwisehaveforgotten,corpsesslicedintwo,theclashofopposingarmies,thesoldiersofthemiserableinfidelsquakingbeforeourcannon,thetroopsdefendingthecrenellatedtowersofbesiegedcastles,rebelsbeingdecapitatedandthefuryofhorsesattackingatfullgallop.IcommiteverythingIbeholdtomemory:anewcoffeegrinder,astyleofwindowgratingthatI’veneverseenbefore,acannon,thetriggerofanewstyleofFrankishrifle,whoworewhatcolor

    robeduringafeast,whoatewhat,whoplacedhishandwhereandhow…”

    “Whatarethemoralsofthethreestoriesyou’vetold?”askedBlackinamannerthatsummedeverythingupandeversoslightlycalledmetoaccount.

    “Alif,”Isaid.“Thefirststorywiththeminaretdemonstratesthatnomatterhowtalentedaminiaturistmightbe,itistimethatmakesapicture”perfect.“”Ba,“thesecondstorywiththeharemandthelibrary,revealsthattheonlywaytoescapetimeisthroughskillandillustrating.Asforthethirdstory,youproceedtotellme,then.”

    “Djim!”saidBlackconfidently,“thethirdstoryabouttheone-hundred-and-neen-year-oldminiaturistunites”Alif“and”Ba‘torevealhowtimeendsfortheonewhoforsakestheperfectlifeandperfectilluminating,leavingnothingbutdeath.Indeed,thisiswhatitdemonstrates.

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