Color Structure in the Persian Painting

Written manuscripts and literary treatises are among the most important documents of knowledge on traditional color production techniques related to painting, and as they have survived thanks to desirable maintenance and preservation from the ancient times to the present time, they can be good sources for identifying and extracting traditional color production methods related to paining. Especially, the illustrated books simultaneously with their writing are an evidence of the contents presented in those manuscripts and treatises. Therefore, by an aim to identify and revive traditional color production techniques, the present descriptive-analytic research examines some of the available handwritten manuscripts and literary treatises. Then, with emphasis placed on the knowledge acquired and the modern facilities, some of the colors are made. The present study was performed by raising the major question that what ancient literary books are the sources of production colors used in Persian painting, and what were the nature of color production techniques and traditional color characteristics in the past. Thus, the study population includes Golestan Honar, Qanun al-Sovar, Majmoueh al-Sanaye’ and 14 other treatises relevant to this issue, and the data collection was performed in a library- and experimental-based manner. The result of this study was the extraction, preparation and remaking of seven main mineral colors in Persian painting.