The Place of the Sky in Persian Miniatures from the Beginning until the Tenth (Hijri) Century

The sky has always had a special place in Persian religious and mythical beliefs. It has been interpreted as a representation of holiness and refinement. This study aimed to examine the place as well as the significance of the sky in Persian miniatures. From this perspective, in Persian miniatures with mythical content, the role of the sky to transfer meaning has been the especial focus. Interestingly, the form of the sky has been represented differently in different eras of Persian miniatures. As such, the formal and symbolic aspects of the sky in comparison with those of other heavenly elements such as the sky, stars and clouds have been discussed. The results, analyzed descriptively, indicated that the formal aspects of the sky in Persian miniatures have undergone changes in different eras in terms of the physical space dedicated to it, vision angle as well as the proportions considered with respect to other elements present in the picture. As an illustration, the sky-related elements like the clouds, which were designed, in terms of formal appearance, by strict guidelines in earlier eras, have been represented more elastically and freely in subsequent eras. More importantly, from Timurid era on, the symbolic content of the sky has been more in focus.