Fuzûlî’s Beng ü Bâde in Dresden Sachsischen Landesbibliothek

Abstract

This article examines the codicology and iconography of an illustrated copy of Fuzûlî’s (d. 1556) masnavi, Beng ü Bâde, thought to have been written between 1508 and 1524. It was prepared for the governor of Baghdad, Sokulluzâde Hasan Pasha, in 1599-1600, and registered as Eb. 362 in the Dresden Sachsischen Landesbibliothek. Sources indicate that the work consists of 440/444 couplets. The work, which compares opium and wine, with the latter prevailing, is written in the form of an allegorical dialogue and debate. Prepared with the support of Ottoman art-loving administrators in Baghdad, a major production center for Ottoman painting in the 1600s, the work is significant for its inclusion of images reflecting a distinct culture and style. The manuscript consists of 28 folios, and the text is written in nasta’liq script. The manuscript’s dark brown leather binding with flap dates to the same period as the work. On folio 2b, is a painting depicting the gathering of the Prophet Muhammad and the Four Sunni Caliphs. Other paintings depict the expulsion of the cupbearer from Bâde’s friendly gathering (fol. 7b), and Bâde and Beng lining up opposite each other for war (fol. 25a). Although the manuscript contains only three illustrations, its quality attests to Sokulluzâde Hasan Pasha’s patronage of art, while also reflecting his artistic preferences. The first illustration features a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, the second depicts the Pasha himself, and the final illustration portrays large groups of people of varying status, reflecting the cultural and social structure of Baghdad, in a natural, vibrant, and colorful style. It is significant as a rare example of the fusion of the diverse tastes of the Istanbul and Baghdad nakkaşhanes.