Investigating the role of Jamshid's teacher in educating craftsmen in two Miniature Paintings in the Chester Beatty Library

As a renowned historical figure for Iranians, Jamshid is noted for his celestial and terrestrial aspects in the Persian classic literature. Choosing to be an instructor to provide humans with welfare and prosperity, he lost the “divine glory” or khvarenah (divine mystical force or power projected upon and aiding the appointed) as a result of ignoring his celestial aspect, yet remained well-known in the end. There have remained various scenes concerning the life of Jamshid in Persian miniature painting some of which deal with his teaching the required techniques to craftsmen. Painted shortly after each other during the Ilkhanid period, two of these works are now preserved at the Chester Beatty Library, Ireland. A study of these works would demonstrate how the challenges of dissociative identity disorder of a free, authorized character like Jamshid have been reflected in the field of visual arts. Furthermore, we may ask about the commonest features in these works as well. The present research has been carried out in comparative-analytical methodology through library studies. The results reveal that the two miniature paintings enjoy the same subject and were illustrated in an iconographic style. The illustrators have intelligently attempted at reflecting reality in the works, thus a representation of real life’s objects has brought about a relative similarity in them. Incidentally, applying the visual arts’ principles as well as an organized composition by illustrators to convey the dissociative identity disorder has been in relation to the desired purpose.