The ‘Shāh Ṭahmāsp Album’ is a set of illustrated calligraphic works dating from the mid-14th to the mid-16th centuries, compiled from various sources during the reign of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-1576). It was conveyed to the Ottoman State during the 16th century and preserved in Ottoman palaces until it was placed in the Library of Istanbul University at the beginning of the 20th century. It is commonly believed that the album was among the diplomatic gifts sent by Shah Tahmasp to Sultan Murad III (r. 1574-1595). The texts, written in Persian, Arabic or Chagatai Turkish, relate to various fields of knowledge. They include poetry, samples of calligraphy, model texts and continuous works displayed in several folios. The album, which has attracted the interest of specialists, is known especially for its miniatures, some of which were taken from illustrated copies of well-known texts existing at the time. The present book, authored by Lâle Uluç and Bora Keskiner, focusses essentially on calligraphy – a subject which contributes to an understanding of the purpose of the album and the significance of its compilation. This talk, which is based on comparisons with other calligraphic works from the same centuries located in Istanbul libraries, examines the scripts, compositions and provenance of the texts, and traces the influences of eminent calligraphers and of the artistic characteristics of the Safavid period; in the process, it supplies a great deal of information to researchers.
About the Speaker:
Lâle Uluç completed her PhD at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and has taught at Boğaziçi University. Her research focusses on Persian and Ottoman arts of the book and material culture. Her publications include various articles, among which are “Selling to the Court: Late Sixteenth Century Shiraz Manuscripts” (Muqarnas 17, 2000); “Shiraz Manuscripts during the Time of Shah ‘Abbas I” (in The Arts of Iran in Istanbul and Anatolia, 2018); and “The Perusal of the Topkapı Albums: A Story of Connoisseurship” (in The Diez Albums, 2016). Some of the books she has authored are “Turkman Governors, Shiraz Artisans and Ottoman Collectors: Sixteenth Century Shiraz manuscripts” (2006); “Impressions of Ottoman Culture in Europe” (with Nurhan Atasoy) (2013); “Illustrated Copies of the Works of ‘Ali Shir Nava’i in Istanbul Libraries” (2020); “Ottoman-Safavid Relations in the Sixteenth Century and the Importance of the Nakkaşhane” (2022); “The Shah Tahmasp Album from the Ottoman Royal Treasury” (with Bora Keskiner) (2024); and a book she edited – “From the Yıldız Palace to the Istanbul University” (2015).
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