Description:

ATTRIBUTED TO MUHAMMAD SIYAH QALAM, TWO DEMONS FIGHTING, CENTRAL ASIA, 14TH CENTURY OR LATER
Central Asia, 14th century or later

Description:
A dynamic and evocative painting attributed to the circle of Muhammad Siyah Qalam, depicting two demonic figures in animated confrontation. One figure, with wild hair and exaggerated features, charges forward brandishing a club, while the other flees in terror, clutching a large piece of raw meat. Their muscular forms and grotesque faces are rendered in earthy pigments, heightened with delicate touches of red, particularly around the meat, adding a visceral quality to the scene.

Set against a neutral backdrop with subtle landscape elements, the composition emphasizes motion and psychological intensity. The distorted anatomy, expressive movement, and surreal iconography are hallmarks of the Siyah Qalam style—works known for blending Persian, Central Asian, and Chinese artistic influences, often evoking shamanic and folkloric narratives.

Though the folio shows signs of age, including paper joins and conservation repairs, the pigment remains largely intact, with the figures' expressions and energy powerfully preserved.

Dimensions:
Length: 32 cm
Width: 21 cm

Comparable Examples:

  • A demon fight scene attributed to Siyah Qalam sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 25 October 2017, Lot 38, for £81,250.

  • A folio from the Diez Albums (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin), fol. 70, presents a similarly grotesque encounter in composition and tone.

  • A comparable image of demon revelry is published in “The Path of Princes: Masterpieces from the Aga Khan Museum,” ed. Filiz Cakir Phillip, 2018.

Note:
Attributed works of Muhammad Siyah Qalam form a mysterious body of paintings thought to originate from itinerant Sufi circles or courtly workshops operating along the Silk Road during the Timurid era. Their arresting, often nightmarish imagery challenges conventional aesthetics of the Islamic manuscript tradition, offering a rare window into cross-cultural mysticism and the psychological undercurrents of the time.

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

PLAKAS

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