Picturing Tanbûr Long-Necked Lutes in Persian, Ottoman, and Indian Paintings
By (author) Hans de Zeeuw
Paperback (Published)
(September 2026)
ISBN: 9781805833666
8.07 x 11.46 inches
Price: $49.00
On back order
This volume examines depictions of tanbûr long-necked lutes in Persian, Ottoman and Mughal painting traditions. Through the study of Islamic art, it explores musical culture, elite society, cross-cultural influences and the accuracy of instrument representations across Western, Central and Southern Asia.
The abundant depiction of musical instruments in Persian, Ottoman, and Indian paintings from the Mughal, Râjput, Deccan, and Râgamâlâ traditions illustrates their significance and popularity. These paintings are an important source for understanding the instruments that were mainly played in courtly and urban environments. Among the most commonly represented instruments are those from the lute family, especially the short-necked ‘ûd, prevalent in the western Islamic world, and the long-necked tanbûr, commonly associated with the eastern region.
Like the tradition of tanbûr long-necked lutes, the painting traditions within Islamic art are characterized by a great variety, shaped by complex historical and cross-cultural interactions across Western, Central, and Southern Asia. This volume presents a comprehensive view of depictions of tanbûrs found in Persian, Ottoman, and especially Mughal paintings, exploring issues of cross-cultural influence, the role of the tanbûr in elite society, and the accuracy with which musical instruments are represented.
List of Figures and Credits
Foreword
Preface and Acknowledgements
General Introduction
Chapter 1 Painting in Islamic Art
Introduction
The Persian Painting Traditions
The Rise of the Safavid, Ottoman, and Indian Painting Traditions
Late Safavid, Ottoman, and Indian Painting
Chapter 2 Tanbûrs Pictured in Persian Paintings
Introduction
The Îl-Khânid Period
The Tîmûrid Age
The Safavid Era
The Qâjâr Phase
Chapter 3 Tanbûrs Pictured in Ottoman Paintings
Introduction
Early Ottoman Painting
Ottoman Painting
Late Ottoman Painting
Chapter 4 Tanbûrs Pictured in Indian Paintings
Introduction
Early Indian Painting
Indian Painting
Late Indian Painting
Glossary of Musical Instruments
Bibliography
Select Discography
Index
Hans de Zeeuw began taking bağlama lessons and became fascinated by its rich history. He dedicated many years to researching the bağlama, under the supervision of Dr. Leo Plenckers from the Department of Musicology at the University of Amsterdam and Dr. Okan Murat Öztürk from the Devlet Konservatuvarı at Başkent Üniversitesi in Ankara. He has published extensively on long-necked lutes, including Tanbûr Long-Necked Lutes along the Silk Road and beyond (2019), The Turkish Long-Necked Lute Saz or Bağlama (2020), and The Ottoman Tanbûr (2022), all published by Archaeopress.
- By (author) Hans de Zeeuw
Similar Books
A Collaborative Tapestry in Honour of Shirley Ann Brown / Une fresque brodée en l’honneur de Shirley Ann Brown
The Bayeux Tapestry Seen by her Colleagues and Friends / La Tapisserie de Bayeux vue par ses collègues et amis
Balthasar Caymox of Nuremberg
Early Modern German Print Publishers: Popular Prints of the Seventeenth Century
Cities through Time
Glimpses into Urbanity and Community in Mediaeval to Modern West Asia and Egypt
Volume 1
Cuneiform Artefacts from Archaeological Contexts: New Research on Ancient Iraq
Proceedings of a Conference Held at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, July 4–5, 2024
Volume 2
ENTANGLED AFRICA
Intra-African Relations Between Rain Forest and Mediterranean from Around 4,000 BCE to 1,500 CE
From the Frontiers of the Empire to the Borders of the Nations
Borderland Security and Safety in the (post-)Ottoman Spaces (1700–1939)
Global Gulf
Geo-Economic, Geo-Political, and Geo-Technological Transformation in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar
Gold, Silver and Glass: Power Networks, Cultural Identities, Technology Transfers and Agency across the Old World (7th Century BC – 1st Century AD)
Proceedings of a Conference Held at the British Museum, 16–18 June 2023
Islamic Rituals Beyond the Mosque
Historical Evolution of Prayer and Devotion in Physical Space and Cyberspace
Ismail Hakki Bursevi’s translation of and commentary on Fusus al-Hikam By Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi
Volumes 1-4
John Dunstaple Reading Boethius
John Dunstaple’s Annotations to Boethius’s “De institutione musica” in the Manuscript Oxford, Corpus Christi College Library, MS 118