ated and the Herat style of illustration overtook all of Persia;
Jemalettin and his manuscripts were forgotten。 Doubtless; the logic behind
Kemalettin R?za of Herat’s violent criticism of these three volumes in his book
The Blindman’s Horses; and his conclusion that they ought to be burned; had
figured in this turn of events。 Kemalettin R?za claimed that none of the horses
described by Jemalettin of Kazvin in his three volumes could be a horse of
God’s vision—because none of them were “immaculate;” since the old master
had described them after he’d witnessed an actual battle scene; no matter
how briefly。 Since the treasures of Tall Hasan of the Whitesheep had been
plundered by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and brought to Istanbul; it
should e as no surprise that occasionally certain of these 303 stories
appear in other manuscripts in Istanbul and even that some horses are drawn
as instructed therein。
310
LAM
In Herat and Shiraz; when a master miniaturist nearing the end of his days
went blind from a lifetime of excessive labor; it would not only be taken as a
sign of that master’s determination; but would be mended as God’s
acknowledgment of the great master’s work and talent。 There was even a time
in Herat when masters who hadn’t gone blind despite having grown old were
regarded with suspicion; a situation that pelled quite a few of them to
actually induce blindness in their old age。 There was a long period during
which men reverently recalled artists who blinded themselves; following in the
path of th