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Mahmud Muzahhib. Sultan Sanjar and an old woman. Nizami. “Mistery treasury”. The National library, Paris. MS 985, f. 40b. 1545. Bukhara
Mahmud Muzahhib SULTAN SANJAR AND AN OLD WOMAN, Nizami. «Mistery treasury»


Philosophic poem of Nizami “Mistery treasury” is about moral and manners of a man. It contains twenty chapters. This miniature illustrates one of them. That is about Sultan Sanjar and an old woman. The main idea of this story is about people’s protection by their ruler. Otherwise he gets punishment in any case.
The figures and faces are not plain by means of light and shade. Some of the characters are shown in profile. That’s new in Oriental miniature painting. The author tries to render emotions of the people.
New ways of depicting antedated the style which became traditional for Mogul miniature painting in India.