I AM CALLED BLACK-3
I AM CALLED BLACK-3 (第2/3页)
edasthoughhe’dlongbecomeoneofthespiritsoftheOtherworld.Ikissedhishand,whichInoticedwasmottled,andIintroducedmyself.IexplainedhowmyEnishtehadenrolledmehereasayouth,butthatI’dpreferredabureaucraticpostandleft.Irecountedmyyearsontheroad,mytimespentinEasterncitiesintheserviceofpashasasaclerkortreasurer’ssecretary.Itoldhimhow,workingwithSerhatPashaandothers,I’dmetcalligraphersandilluminatorsinTabrizandproducedbooks;howI’dspenttimeinBaghdadandAleppo,inVanandTiflis,andhowI’dseenmanybattles.
“Ah,Tiflis!”thegreatmastersaid,ashegazedatthelightfromthesnow-coveredgardenfilteringthroughtheoilskincoveringthewindow.“Isitsnowingtherenow?”
HisdemeanorbefittedthoseoldPersianmasterswhogrewblindperfectingtheirartistry;who,afteracertainage,livedhalf-saintly,half-senilelives,andaboutwhomendlesslegendsweretold.IstraightawaysawinhisjinnlikeeyesthathedespisedmyEnishtevehementlyandthathewasfurthermoresuspiciousofme.Evenso,IexplainedhowintheArabiandesertssnowdidn’tsimplyfalltotheEarth,asitwasnowfallingontotheHagiaSophia,butontomemoriesaswell.Ispunayarn:WhenitsnowedonthefortressofTiflis,thewasherwomensangsongsthecolorofflowersandchildrenhidicecreamundertheirpillowsforsummer.
“Dotellmewhatthoseilluminatorsandpaintersillustrateinthecountriesyou’vevisited,”hesaid.“Whatdotheydepict?”
Adreamy-eyedyoungpainterwhowasrulingoutpagesinthecorner,lostinrevery,raisedhisheadfromhisfoldingworkdeskalongwiththeothersintheroomandgavemealookthatsaid,“Letthisbeyourmosthonestanswer.”
Manyofthesecraftsmendidn’tknowthecornergrocerintheirownneighborhood,orhowmuchanoke’sworthofbreadcost,buttheywereverycuriousaboutthelatestgossipEastofPersia,wherearmiesclashed,princesstrangledoneanotherandplunderedcitiesbeforeburningthemtotheground,wherewarandpeacewerecontestedeachday,wherethebestverseswerewrittenandthebestillustrationsandpaintingsweremadeforcenturies.
“ShahTahmaspreignedforfifty-twoyears.Inthelastyearsofhislife,asyouknow,heabandonedhisloveofbooks,illustratingandpainting,turnedhisbackonpoets,illustratorsandcalligraphers,andresigninghimselftoworship,passedaway,whereuponhisson,Ismail,ascendedtothethrone,”Isaid.“ShahTahmasphadbeenwellawareofhisson’sdisagreeableandantagonisticnature,sohekepthim,theshah-to-be,behindlockeddoorsfortwentyyears.
AssoonasIsmailassumedthethrone,inamadfrenzy,hehadhisyoungerbrothersstrangled—someofwhomhe’dblindedbeforehand.Intheend,however,Ismail’senemiessucceededinplyinghimwithopiumandpoisoninghim,andafterbeingliberatedfromhisworldlypresence,theyplacedhishalf-wittedolderbrotherMuhammadKhodabandehonthethrone.Duringhisreign,alltheprinces,brothers,provincialgovernorsandUzbeks,inshorteveryone,startedtorevolt.TheywentaftereachotherandourSerhatPashawithsuchmartialferocitythatallofPersiaturnedtosmokeanddustandwasleftindisarray.Indeed,thepresentshah,bereftofmoneyandintelligenceandhalf-blind,isnotfittosponsorthewritingandillustrationofilluminatedmanuscripts.Thus,theselegendaryillustratorsofKazvinandHerat,alltheseelderlymasters,alongwiththeirapprentices,theseartisanswhomademasterpiecesinShahTahmasp’sworkshops,paintersandcoloristswhosebrushesmadehorsesgallopatfullspeedandwhosebutterfliesflutteredoffthepage,allofthesemasterbindersandcalligraphers,everylastonewasleftwithoutwork,pennilessanddestitute,homelessandbereft.SomemigratedtotheNorthamongtheUzbeks,someWesttoIndia.Otherstookupdifferenttypesofwork,wastingthemselvesandtheirhonor,andstillothersenteredtheserviceofinsignificantprincesandprovincialgovernors,allswornenemiesofeachother,tobeginworkingonpalm-sizebookscontainingatmostafewleavesofillustration.Rapidlytranscribed,hastilypainted,cheapbooksappearedeverywhere,matchingthetastesofcommonsoldiers,boorishpashasandspoiledprinces.”
“Howmuchwouldtheygofor?”askedMasterOsman.
“IhearthatthegreatSadikiBeyillustratedacopyofStrangeCreatures,commissionedbyanUzbekspahicavalryman,foronlyfortygoldpieces.InthetentofavulgarpashawhowasreturningfromhisEasterncampaigntoErzurum,IbeheldanalbumconsistingoflewdpicturesincludingpaintingsbythevirtuosoSiyavush.Afewgreatmasterswhohadn’tabandonedillustratingweremakingandsellingindividualpieces,whichweren’tpartofanystoryatall.Byexaminingsuchsingleleaves,youcouldn’ttellwhichsceneorwhichstoryitrepresented;rather,youwouldadmireitforitsownsake,forthepleasureofbeholdingalone.Forexample,youmightcomment,”Thisistheexactlikenessofahorse,howbeautiful,“andyou’dpaytheartistonthisbasis.
Scenesofcombator**ingarequitecommon.Thepriceforabustlingbattlehasfallentothreehundredsilvercoins,andtherearehardlyanyinterestedclients.Tosellpiecesonthecheapandtobetterlureabuyer,somesimplydrawinblackinkonnonsized,unfinishedpaperwithnaryabrushstrokeofcolor.”
“Therewasagilderofminewhowascontentascontentcouldbeandtalentedastalentwouldallow,”saidMasterOsman.“Hesawtohisworkwithsuchelegancethatwereferredtohimas”ElegantEffendi.“Buthehasabandonedus.It’sbeensixdays,andhe’snottobefoundanywhere.He’splaindisappeared.”
“Howcouldanyonequitsuchaworkshopasthis,suchajoyoushearth?”Isaid.
“Butterfly,Olive,StorkandElegant,thefouryoungmasterswhomI’vetrainedsincetheywereapprentices,nowworkathomeatOurSultan’sbehest,”saidMasterOsman.
ThisapparentlycameaboutsotheycouldworkmorecomfortablyontheBookofFestivitieswithwhichtheentireworkshopw
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