start page
Hunting in the mountains. Jami. “Golden chain”. MS SPL, Dorn 434. End paper to the book, ff. 81b, 82a. Between 1405 and 1415. Samarkand
HUNTING IN THE MOUNTAINS, Jami. Golden Chain MS SPL

HUNTING IN THE MOUNTAINS, Jami. Golden Chain MS SPL


The miniature depicts tsar’s hunting with hunters and beaters. This miniature was cut into two parts, probably, while its gluing in the manuscript of the lower date. In the composition centre there is Samarkand ruler Halil Sultan or maybe Ulugh Bek and six horsemen: his young relatives or his supporters. The scene takes place in autumn, because there is not so many flowers around, the bushes has lost their leaves, only Central Asian junipers stay green. The season causes cold and gloomy colour scheme of the miniature. The clouds on the gilded sky are depicted like in Chinese painting. All the animals: wild goats, sheep, deer, boars, two leopards are caught in the ravine. Horsemen shoot them from the bows. The composition of this miniature is unique. There are several ridges on the painting. In their outlines one could see some monsters. The mountains in the foreground embrace the ravine, here there are horsemen watching the hunters. Most of the people are drawn not in profile as it was usual in that time period but in three-quarter or you can see their backs. Riding the horses seven chief hunters shoot. Wounded animals, people, rocks and even clouds create tense atmosphere of the miniature. Hunting scenes are rather popular in Oriental miniature painting, but the elements of the composition, characters and landscape of “Golden chain” single out this miniature among the others ones.