"KHATA'i" MOTIF in the ISLAMIC ART -A Study for the Original Forms
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"KHATA'I" MOTIF IN THE ISLAMIC ART -A study for the original forms- Minako YAMANLAR MIZUNO* 1. The painting and the ornament patterns in Islam According to the theories and the categories of European art history, ornamental patterns are accepted as the secondary elements which adorn objects and are never dealt with as an independent genre in the arts, but in the Islamic world ornamental patterns form a very important genre of painting and have played a significant role in its art. Heinrich Lutzeler describes the situation as follows; The term ornament usually means something subordinate. Ornaments are used to decorate something, and their forms do not have de- cisive influences upon the overall style of works of art. Therefore in Europe it is not possible to establish an art history based on ornaments, but in Islam it is not only possible, it is necessary.(1) There have been many discussions about the disproportionate emphasis on ornamental patterns in Islamic art. In those cases, the reasons for it are usually explained through the strict prohibtion of idolatry and the ban on the depiction of living things. Thus the theory has arisen that these restrictions have prevented the development of figure painting in favor of ornamental patterns. But in Islam besides the painting known as miniatures, the painting style called Tezhip also has been evaluated. Tezhip is a kind of painting which is used for the ornamental decoration of manuscripts especially using gold, dark blue and other vivid colors. According to the classifications of European art, Tezhip has been classified as illumination. Certainly Tezhip resembles illumination in its colouring and the purpose of its execution, but Tezhip is not seen as a secondary element like illumination. Because it decorates the Quran, Tezhip is regarded as the most important genre of painting in Islam. This concept was reflected in works on painting written by Islamic authors. * Lecturer, Keio University. 96 ORIENT "KHATA'I" MOTIF IN THE ISLAMIC ART Especially in "Risalah-yi dar tarikh-i khatt va naqqashi" written by Qutb al-Din Muhammad Qissah-khvan in 1556 (964 H.),(2) "Qanun al-suvar" written by Sadiqi Bik in ca. 1596 (1005 H.),(3) and "Gulistan-i hunar" written by Qadi Ahmad Qummi in ca. 1606 (1015 H.),(4) the seven ornamental patterns were described as the elemental manners of painting.(5) Those seven ornaments are used not only as the main patterns of Tezhip, but also enlarged for adorning architecture and all kinds of crafts. Therefore, in other words, in Islam almost every surface whether it be on tiles, ceramics, wooden panels, metal wares or textiles is accepted as a pictorial space. To Islamic painting the space for painting is not limited to framed surfaces, walls, or scrolls. Thus many painters of ornamental patterns (Muzehhip) were required for creative activities in ateliers and their ranks in ateliers were rather high. They were even sometimes selected as the chiefs of the ateliers.(6) For those reasons it is meaningless to make a rigid distinction between painting and ornamental pattern in Islam. It would be more suitable to think that ornamental pattern is the main genre of Islamic painting. Although ornamental patterns have played an important role in Islamic art, the study of them has not been sufficient. Even the meanings of terms or formal patterns have not been studied completely. When those basic points have been more thoroughly researched, attitudes towards painting in Islam and aesthetic concepts of Islamic art will be more evident. Regarding those points, the author will deal with one of the seven elemental patterns "Khata'i". Along with Islimi (a pattern composed of half palmette leaves and tendrils), Khata'i is one of the main floral patterns, but its origin has not been clearly understood. Here, in a discussion of the development of the floral motives, the forms and the origin of Khata'i will be traced. 2. The definitions of Khata'i Before quoting the definitions of the scholars, we have to consider the original meaning of the word "Khata'i". This word is drived from "Khata", which in narrow sense is the name of the Turkish tribe in northern China and their dynasty "Kitai", but broadly in the Islamic world it means the country of China. The word Khata'i has been variously used. Besides the name of the ornamental pattern, there was a kind of paper named Khata'i, which was Vol. XXV 1989 97 manufactured in Khotan,(7) and there was also a kind of textile named Khata'i during the Ottoman period.(8) Moreover painters refered to as Khata'i, who were probably Chineses, are known.(9) In those cases, the word Khata'i is used in the broad sense of "Chinese", thus we cannot find any particular character- istics to give hints as to the concrete forms of the Khata'i pattern. Apart from the general meaning "Chinese", there are some other inter- pretations of the word Khata'i, one of them is "a continuing of line" the other is "error or trouble",(10) but those meanings are not suitable for the ornament. Here I would like to introduce the main definitions offered by scholars; (1) C. E. Arseven (1942): The Khata'i stylecame from Central Asia and it is an ornamental pattern composed of stylized leaves and flowers which resemble Chinese patterns.(11) (2) B. N. Zakhoder (1947): The names of Islimiand Khata'i came from the poem which described the war of Chaldiran. In the poem, the Ottoman Sultan, Selim I, was compared with Islimi, and the Safavid Shah, Shah Isma'il, was compared with Khata'i which was his pseudonym.(12) (3) M. Pakalin (1951): It is one of the type of Tezhip. It does not reproduce nature as does normal painting. It is the name which is given to the favourite flower motives of the painters in various sizes.(13) (4) I. Binark (1964): There are two vegetable tendrils; one is called Rumi, the other called Khata'i. The Khata'i styles are composed of rosettes and leaves with tendrils, which are arranged into big and small medallions. The two motives have been used very often in the Turkish Tezhip.(14) (5) U. Derman (1971): In China and Central Asia the naturalistic form of Khata'i has remained. In India and Japan the motives show characteristic forms of their own. The stylized forms are recomposed of the parts of the flower. During the Ottoman period the motif was loved and many variations have been made and used frequently.(15) (6) H. Yagmurlu (1973): It is a highly stylized floral motif. The origin of it can be found in China. The motif came to the Anatolian peninsula through Central Asia and Iran, and spread there.(16) (7) M. E, Ozen (1985): It is a motif that in which a lotus-like flower is arrang- ed in the center with vines surrounding it with leaves and flowers.(17) (8) B. Mahir (1986): A stylizedfloral motif in Chinese style.(18) (9) F. Gagman: It is the conventionalfloral motif which is derived from the Far East.(19) 98 ORIENT "KHATA'I" MOTIF IN THE ISLAMIC ART (10) A. Ersoy (1988): It is an ornamental pattern which is composed of stylized flowers and leaves. But it is so stylized that the original form is not traceable. Although it is supposed that the flower might exist in nature, it is very difficult to determine the type of plant. The sizes of the motives are various and the depictions of the motif are made from top and side. It is a very popular motif in decorative art.(20) (11) Hadi Aqdasiyah (1957/1336): Khato'i is the floral motif which is com- posed of tendrilswith flowers, leaves and buds. Like Islimi they are also not naturalistic motives, they are abstract, artificially created motives. The name, derived from the city of Khotan, shows the influences of Chinese elements in Iranian Art. The name is compared with Islimi derived from the word Isma'il. Some of the carpet artisans use the term Khata'i as a kind of continuation of lines and something warped or erroneous.(21) (12) S. Welch (1981): The Chinese floral pattern.(22) (13) L. Kerimov (1985): Khatayi is widely used in all Azerbaijan decorative art. Although similar to Islimi in form and structure, Khatayi designs have their own original character and can also be related to the complicated Azerbai- jan ornaments. Wide, enlongated "sleeves" or "branches" which reach upwards from the base are the main elements of this composition. The sleeves are usually surrounded by single or double "teeth" of various forms and are filled and decorated by numerous large and small stylized flowers and leaves of different forms.(23) Except the definition of L. Kerimov, the various definitions have in common two points, that it is a stylized floral motif and that the origin of the motif could Fig. 1 The motives refered to as Khata'i a After U. Derman b After Hadi Agdasiyah c After L. Kerimov Vol. XXV 1989 99 be found in Central Asia or China. But none of the authors have mentioned their reasons or made arguments to support their definitions. The definitions might depend on the transmitted knowledge of the painters, or might be derived from the general image of the word as meaning "Chinese". U. Derman, Hadi Aqdasiyah and L. Kerimov provide drawings of Khata'i (Fig. 1-a, b, c). The Khata'i shown by Derman and Aqdasiyah are quite stylized forms of the motif and do not seem to be the basic form of Khata'i.