Periods, Cultures, Styles  > Ilkhanid

Ilkhanid

Book illustration thrived under the Ilkhanids and became a major art form for both religious and secular texts. In illustration, new ideas and motifs were introduced into the repertoire of the Muslim artist, including an altered and more Chinese depiction of pictorial space, as well as motifs such as lotuses and peonies, cloud bands, and dragons and phoenixes. Popular subjects, also sponsored by the court, included well-known stories such as the Shahnama (Book of Kings), the famous Persian epic. Furthermore, the widespread use of paper and textiles also enabled new designs to be readily transferred from one medium to another. Following their conversion to Islam, the Ilkhanids built numerous mosques and Sufi shrines in cities across Iran.