mundane colors with a gold ground identical to that used to depict the
garden outside the background window. The inclusion, within the interior
space, of outside scenes in both the wall paintings and through the window
suggests engagement with the poetry’s thematization of interiority and
exteriority.
Nizami’s inclusion of Mani in the condensed parable indicates a con-
temporary cultural shift. Although banished in thefirst century of Islamic
rule, Manicheanism persisted into the fourteenth century in Central Asia.
Both Firdausi’sShahnamehand al-Biruni’s treatise on India depict Mani as
a false prophet,flayed alive for the deception inherent to his extensive use
of painting. Firdausi condemns him through reference to theHadith
warning that artists would have to breathe life into their creations. He
explains:
An eloquent man arrived from China, and the world will never see his like again...
He said,“I am a prophet and a painter, and I am thefirst of those who introduce
new religions into the world.”He asked from an audience with Shapur...[who
calls in his priests, and the chief priest answers,]“You love images; why do you
foolishly strive with God in this way, God who created the high heavens and made
time and space in which darkness and light are manifest...Why do you put such
trust in images, ignoring the advice of the prophets? Images are multiple, but God
is one, and you have no choice but to submit to him. If you could make your images
move, then you could say that this is a demonstration of the truth of what you say.
But don’t you see that such a demonstration would fail”^28 ...Mani’s credibility
withered away. The king...had him dragged away. He said,“The world has no
place for this image maker; he has disturbed the peace long enough. Let him be
flayed and his skin stuffed with straw so that no one will be tempted to follow his
example.”They hung his body from the city gates, and then later from the wall in
front of the hospital. The world praised Shapur, and menflung dirt on Mani’s
corpse.^29
Mani’s hubris in attempting the act of creation through painting causes his
effigy to become like a votive statue receiving damning libations.
Conversely, Nizami portrays Mani as an exemplary artist. Such redemp-
tion began earlier, inThe Book on the Nature of Living Beings(Taba’i al-
Hayawan) by Sharaf al-Zaman Tahir al-Marwazi (c.1056–1120), physician
to the Great Seljuq sultan. He writes:(^28) Roxburgh translates this passage as,“Even if you could make this picture move, is it proper to
take the movement as proof?”Roxburgh, 2001 : 175.
(^29) Ferdowsi, 2007 : 598.
142 Seeing through the Mirror