A Comparative Study of Constellation Shapes and Decorative Imagery in Three Versions of Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi's "Kitāb Suwar al-Kawākib"

Astrology, one of humanity's oldest sciences, has a rich history of exploration Abolhassan Abdurrahman Sufi Razi Fasavi is a prominent Iranian mathematician and astronomer of the 4th century who lived in Fars during the Dilmian period. He authored the book "Sural al-Kawakb," a corrected rendition of Ptolemy's "al-Majsati," which was rooted in his personal astronomical observations. The objective of this research is to identify the types of illustrated constellations, analyze the image structure and decorative images, and analyze their differences and commonalities in three illustrated versions of Abdur Rahman Sufi's constellations, related to the 6th, 9th, and 12th centuries of the lunar calendar. The research questions are as followed: 1 What are the visual characteristics present in the three illustrated constellations versions that depict the shapes and symbols of the twelve zodiac signs? What discrepancies and commonalities exist within the decorative forms of the illustrated constellations? This research adopts a fundamental, descriptive-analytical approach with a comparative study framework. Data collection entails library research, direct observation of copies, and utilization of modern tools such as digital equipment, photography, and scanning. The study's population encompasses three illustrated versions of Abdur Rahman Sufi's constellations, specifically: Version numbered 64615782, consisting of 54 images, held in the Berlin Museum. Version 13.160.10, containing 257 images, housed in the Metropolitan Museum. Version 1975.192.2, comprising 78 images, also housed in the Metropolitan Museum. The non-probability purposive sampling method is employed, complemented by qualitative analysis of selected samples. Findings unveil a shared visual attribute in all three versions: the deliberate use of line elements in image representation. This includes a deliberate manipulation of line quality, speed, and rhythm to convey visual depth. Another shared feature is the emphasis on the role of the frame in visual presentation. Astrology is the study of changes, physical and chemical characteristics of the position and movement of "celestial objects" such as stars, planets, galaxies and celestial events such as the aurora borealis and cosmic radiation originating outside the Earth's atmosphere. In early civilizations, astronomers carefully studied the night sky with simple astronomical instruments. (این پاراگراف به نظر اضافه است. Abolhassan Abdurrahman Sufi Razi Fasavi, the leader of "Islamic Renaissance"era, named by Adam Metz, changed the way we look at the stars in the sky and is recognized as one of the most influential astronomers in the world. He devoted his life to advancing our comprehension of the stars and constellations. He wrote the book Sural al-Kawakb, which was a corrected version of Ptolemy's al-Majsati, based on his observations, and described the position, color and magnitude of 1081 celestial objects In astronomy, constellations denote a grouping of stars that are proximate, forming distinct shapes akin to objects or creatures in the human mind. Abd al-Rahman Sufi is the pineering individual who depicted the constellations and the twelve constellations in a written and precise manner, and his drawings in the book Sur al-Kawakb became a global visual reference in the creation of the celestial spheres. In this book, he discusses the forty-eight constellations known as the fixed stars, which, according to the medieval conception of the universe, resided in the eighth of the nine spheres around the Earth. The constellations each appear twice in the mirror image seen from Earth and from the sky. The work of Abd al-Rahman Sufi called "Sour al-Kawakb" is one of the scientific masterpieces of astronomy of the Islamic period, which he wrote in the fourth century of Hijra under the aliasAzd al-Dawlah. ” Sur al-Kawakb” by Abd al-Rahman Sufi is one of the treatises on astronomical sciences of the Islamic period, which was very important in the history of astronomy. This book has been illustrated by artists in different epochs of painting history. In this study, we delve into the illustrated versions of Abd al-Rahman Sufi's constellations from the 6th, 9th, and 12th centuries AH, scrutinizing constellation types, image structure analysis, decorative elements, disparities, and commonalities.In order to analyze the twelve zodiac signs, indicators include visual elements in the image, visual elements in the text, the type of space creation (location of the role), the emphasis element in the image, the type and quality of the frame, the dominant element in the illustrated page, the characteristics and the way the image is executed, as well as the way it is represented. The image in the twelve signs was examined in three versions. Therefore, in response to the research questions, the results show that one of the common visual features in all three versions is the use of the line element in the representation of images in such a way that in all three versions, the quality and speed and slowness of the line and its use in showing depth. This attribute is most prominent in the second version (Metropolitan). Another visual aspect involves the frame's role in visualizing the subject. Artists accorded the frame a distinct role in illustration.Although in some pages the frame has the conventional shape, the artists imbued the image with a sense of breaking free from the frame, aligning with contemporary painting attributes. This feature is observable in selected illustrated pages in both the second and third editions.Color tones also constitute a visual feature across all versions. Notably, the second version's crab depictions employ unconventional colors, including blue. In addition to this, the visual artists have also paid attention to three versions of the texture to show the mane and the end of the tail in the images of Burj AsadIn summation, In version number one, the twelve-fold sign is the dominant visual element of the line compared to the other two versions. The type of space creation is associated with the combination of text and image, which is formed in the pages related to towers with the dominance of the image in the upper or lower half of the composition page. In the second version, similar to its counterparts, the emphasis centers on the line element, utilized by painters to imbue volume. In this version, unlike the other two versions, the page is dominated by the image and has no frame. The text in this version is limited to a small frame and often drawn at the top of the page. The dominant color is brown, and gold is used to show the position of the stars, and the circles are surrounded by red. The illustration of this version is realistic in showing animals and unrealistic in showing human figures. In the third edition, distinct from the other two, color serves to dimension and adorn body parts, clothing, textures, and other image elements. This version, like the first version, has a frame, its characteristic feature is that the image elements are broken and overflowing from the frame. Despite the image's prominence, writing complements the version, aligning closer with nature and reality compared to the preceding editions. While some frames maintain their traditional appearance, artists purposefully allow images to overflow the frame, coupling text and image to create spatial compositions, particularly evident in pages linked to towers.