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                                                                                            author: Gasimzadeh Ilgam  

     CAUCASIAN SHEEP-DOGS(OVCHARKI) IN MINIATURES OF 12-17 CENTURIES OF POEM "HAMSE" NIZAMI  

       The creative heritage of the great poet and thinker of the Azerbaijan people Nizami Ganjevi, one of the leading figures of the world literature, has enriched with his ingenious writings the treasure house of world artistic culture.

Unique in ideological-aesthetic concepts, excellent poems of  �Khamza� by Nizami having absorbed the highest accomplishments of Oriental poetry as well as rich folk traditions, have greatly influenced and continue to exercise influence upon the development of literature and art of the people of the Near and Middle East.

The artistic interpretation of the subjects and images of �Khamsa� has found its most illustrious and broad expression in the art of book illumination of the Near and Middle East miniature paintings. Just as in the classic oriental poetry the greatest number of nazirehs (imitations) were written on Nizami�s poems? And as an art book �Khamsa� served as an example for numerous illuminated manuscripts.

It is generally accepted that in quantity of illuminated manuscripts Nizami�s poems are second only to �Shah Nameh� by Firdowsi. It is worth mentioning that almost all famous museums, libraries and private collections the world over, i.e. those of London, New York, Washington, Istanbul, Baku, etc. can be proud of numerous illuminated manuscripts of �Khamse� executed in 14^th-17^th centuries in various schools of miniature painting in the Near and Middle East. 

The subjects of �Khamse� became very popular and were often repeated because of their florid metaphoric idioms, unique wealth of poetic range of expression, refined artistic form related by the great poet, aided the artists in finding proper poetic graphic design of images, decoratively vivid artistic patterns. The motifs of �Khamsa� were so popular and used in illustration because they were earthly in their essence, conceivable in spirit, expressive and true to live.

The subjects and images of  �Khamse� were widely used in the decorative � applied art. Especially in the 15^th � 17^th centuries on the silk and velvet fabrics; it was quite common to represent such subjects as: �Mejnun in Desert�, �Leili on Camelback goes to Visit Mejnun�, �Leili and Mejnun among beasts�. Among these ornamental fabrics of the greatest artistic value are the fine works of decorative expressiveness created by the famous nakshbend (illuminator) Giyas from Yezd, court master of Shah Abas 1.

Among illustrated manuscripts of Nizami�s poems the most noteworthy and valuable ones in their artistic significance is the manuscript of �Khamsa� of 1431 (Sankt- Petersburg, State Hermitage), the manuscript of 1490 (Moscow, the State Museum of people of East), the manuscript of 1494-95 (London, The British Museum).

Motives  �Hamse� Nizami were so popular, that have found the reflection even in miniatures of far India. 

Poems of Nizami have consisted of the basic chapters - makale (conversations). Each of twenty conversations comes to the end with a parable, is poetical illustrating the ideological maintenance of the given conversation. Many of chapters - makale very precisely describe events up to the smallest details. 

For me the plots connected to Azerbaijan have especial interest. The Azerbaijan artists frequently represented various episodes from poems of Nizami. 

I make quotation below: 

The Parable of Jesus Christ  N 7 �Khamsa� 1508, Dorn

The tenth conversation in �The Treasury of Mysteries� says that it is not good to find fault in everything. The miniature describes a parable about Jesus Christ. Once Jesus saw a dead dog�s body surrounded by a crowd. While the crowd were cursing the filthy body, Jesus began to praise the dog�s pearl-like teeth. The aim of the story is to say that one must try to find good traits in everything, even in things, which seem to be ugly.

�Bahram-gur and a Shepherd�

While Bahram enjoys a careless life full of amusement, his vizier is robbing the country. Bahram goes on hunting because he is very much grieved. He meets a shepherd who has hung his dog. When Bahram asks the shepherd the reason of this, the man says that the dog was once his faithful guard and friend, but when he made friends with a she-wolf he betrayed his master and began to eat the sheep hideously:

If you don�t treat a traitor in this way,

Nobody would say good to you.

Bahram understood the wise man�s hint

In these ancient miniatures actually described ancient tradition in cultivations by shepherds Caucasian sheep-dogs when any attempts to harm sheep on the part of sheep-dogs instantly were cut off. A dog simply destroyed. 

In those days sheep-dogs were irreplaceable helpers, especially for peasants and shepherds. In villages were proud of especially outstanding dogs that reliably protected people from predators and enemies; 

The son of great military leader and the statesman Shah Ismail Hatai, Sam- Mirza in 1550 in his dramatical piece wrote: 

Once during hunting Sultan Jakub (the uncle of Shah Ismail, the state Aggojunlu), has noticed the lambs on a slope of mountain protected by the big sheep-dogs and has sent one of the mulazims (servant) to learn, to whom they belong. Come to Habibi (the poet and the shepherd, was born in the middle of 15 centuries in Gojchaj, Azerbaijan), mulazim has asked, whose these lambs. 

Not having received the answer, it has repeated once again the question. Between resourceful Habibi and mulazim there was such conversation: 

Mulazim: These lambs whose? 

Habibi: Rams 

Mulazim: who the biggest in your village? 

Habibi: Bulls the biggest 

Mulazim: I not about it  ask, who meets people? 

Habibi: if such respectful as you in our village will come, wolfhounds will meet it;

Having come in furiousness from such answer, mulazim has said such words: 

You to cut! 

Habibi, it teasing: Drive a horse, your comrades at a kind of dogs such would leave, has told; 

Mulazim this conversation has transferred the Padishah. Resource to it was suited taste, from for what it has taken Habibi on education. Owing to the mind and talent Habibi became the poet. 

The theme of sheep-dogs protecting herds of sheep in general is widely submitted in many work of art of the Azerbaijan artists as the sheep-dog was considered in Azerbaijan, where traditionally were engaged in the sheep breeding, as one of the most necessary helper. 

In article use information:  Nizami Ganjavi , �Hamse� Miniatures 

Publishing house � Yazichi �, Azerbaijan 1983  

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