PhD defence

The Advent of Abrī: The First Wave of Paper Marbling in the Long 16th Century (ca. 1496–1616)

• J.W. Benson

Date

Thursday 21 November 2024

Time

10:00 - 11:00 hour

Address

Academy Building
Rapenburg 73
2311 GJ Leiden

Supervisor(s)

• Prof.dr. P.M. Sijpesteijn
• Prof.dr. G.R. Van den Berg

Summary

This dissertation examines the appearance of paper marbling in the Islamic world and its spread to Europe during the long sixteenth century, circa 1496–1616. Primarily known by the Persian term abrī, or “clouded” designs, artists employed it with other decorated papers to cover, mount, or write, and even visually illustrate sixteenth-century Turco-Persian manuscripts. Artists produced such sheets in institutional, commercial, pedagogical, and itinerant contexts. Prevailing literature suggests the art originated in East Asia or Turkistan and then “transferred” elsewhere; however, instead of privileging unproven speculation, this investigation pursues the evidentiary trail instead. It ascertains and articulates how an initial wave of abrī first arose and rippled throughout Turco-Persian Muslim culture and ultimately reached Europe. Comparing the earliest Indo-Persian, Ottoman, and Dutch sources on marbling reveals vastly varied technical information in broad circulation amongst marbling artisans or “marblers.” They disseminated their methods when they emigrated elsewhere or recorded their observations in writing. The need to adapt substitute materials for unavailable ones also resulted in regional variants. Others who lacked the requisite technical information also tried to imitate the papers they saw. Despite these differing modes, surviving evidence falls into three main pattern categories: droplet motifs, swirled, and pebbled designs. Gazing at abstract patterns can elicit perceptual responses that likely inspired artists and poets alike to employ the paper. It proves that before seventeenth-century “second wave” technical patterning advancements occurred, Turco-Persian Muslim and European intellectuals viewed these early marbled designs with curiosity, esteem, and delight.

PhD dissertations

Approximately one week after the defence, PhD dissertations by Leiden PhD students are available digitally through the Leiden Repository, that offers free access to these PhD dissertations. Please note that in some cases a dissertation may be under embargo temporarily and access to its full-text version will only be granted later.

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