«Pir Budaq», Patron of Art and Book Design in the Qara Qoyunlu Era

Introduction: The patrons of art have always been influential in the artistic developments of Iran, and the activities of the Qara Qoyunlu rulers and the effects they have left on Iranian culture, especially during the "Pir Budaq" era, are remarkable and worthy of attention. Valuable manuscripts from this era are available in libraries around the world. Nowadays, these Divans and poetry collections are valuable literary and artistic works that need research and study. The reign of Pir Budaq has been less attractive even from a historical perspective; primarily, what he did as a patron of art has been less seen and recounted. Pir Budaq, the son of Shah Jahan, came to power in the second half of the ۹th century A.H. During his two decades of rule, he provided a lot of support in the field of artistic and cultural affairs and the preparation of luxuriously illustrated manuscripts and collections of poems. His library has been the place of several painters, calligraphers, writers, and poets. This research aims to introduce Pir Budaq, the works in the library, and his activities as a patron of art, as well as to examine the features and visual values of the manuscripts that were made during his time. Finally, "How did Pir Budaq's supporting activities appear in the artworks of his lifetime?" will be answered.Research Method: This research is qualitative, and the results are presented descriptively and analytically using a historical and monographic approach. Data was collected using museum and private collectors' documentary, library, and internet resources. In this research, important documents and books, including twenty-two illustrated and non-illustrated manuscripts with arrays and illuminations, have been classified into four groups: Documents, non-illustrated manuscripts, illustrated manuscripts, and collections of poems and Anthologies (Jong). These categories have been examined and analyzed according to the data.Findings: Pir Budaq's artistic view and exceptional support for book design and the manuscripts prepared for him have caused a magnificent manifestation of the art and poetic literature of the ۹th century A.H. of Iran. Due to his supreme artistic taste, this patron gathered the best artists, calligraphers, illuminators, and painters of his era in his library so that they could work in the style of his artistic vision.Conclusion: This research shows that Pir Budaq's taste and support were influential in the preparation of illustrated manuscripts, and the aesthetics of the art of book design improved during his time. He was the artistic inheritor of the Baysonqor and Shahrukh period and its transfer to Shiraz and Baghdad, and his activity caused the transfer of illustration art from Herat to the court of the Turkomans and then the Safavids.

کلیدواژه ها:

Pir Budaq ، Patron of Art ، Illustrated Manuscript ، Poem Collection ، Anthology (Jong) ، Book Design