The most unique masterpiece of the Central Asian school of miniature art will be exhibited in Tashkent

🔴 “A young man who considered labor equal to love”

🔴 What does the hidden signature of the “Raphael of the East” mean?

Every exhibit and artifact in the Museum of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan invites visitors to reflect. Among the pearls of Eastern miniature art, there is a unique masterpiece that calls upon everyone to overcome their own “mountains” and to connect labor with love.

The art of Eastern miniature painting is a philosophy hidden behind beauty and harmony of colors a deep portrayal of the human spirit. Behind every line and every shade lies a spiritual world, thought, and history that evolved over centuries. One of such priceless masterpieces is the miniature entitled “Farhod Receiving the Chisel from the Stonecutter,” created in honor of the story of Farhod and Shirin from Alisher Navoi’s epic Khamsa.

In the 15th–16th centuries, the city of Herat was the spiritual center of the Eastern Renaissance. During the reign of Sultan Husayn Bayqara, prominent figures of science and art such as Alisher Navoi, Kamoliddin Behzod, Abdurahman Jami, and Sultan Ali Mashhadi together established the creative environment known as the “Herat School”.

During this era, the miniatures created for the Khamsa epics held immense literary and philosophical significance. 

In the miniature, the moment when Farhod takes the chisel from the stonecutter symbolizes not merely a physical action, but the human being’s first step toward spiritual perfection — a moment of inspiration received from the master.

In the Sufi interpretation, this scene bears the following meaning:

• Mountain – the nafs (ego);
• Chisel – dhikr (remembrance of God);
• Stonecutter – the murshid (spiritual guide);
• Farhod – the seeker of truth.

When Farhod breaks through the mountains, in reality, man is breaking through the walls of his own ego. This is the path to true love, enlightenment, and spiritual freedom. In this sense, the miniature stands as one of the earliest works in Eastern art to express the “inner struggle between man and truth.”

Kamoliddin Behzod’s School and the Tradition of Hidden Signatures

Researchers attribute this miniature to the school of the great painter Kamoliddin Behzod known as the “Raphael of the East” based on its stylistic features and intricate details.

According to this tradition, artists did not write their names openly but instead concealed their symbols within ornaments or backgrounds. This gave the artwork a mysterious meaning and a spiritual “life.”

The great heritage displayed in Uzbekistan

Today, the unique copy of this miniature is expected to be displayed in the exhibition halls of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan.

This exhibition provides not only an opportunity to explore the history of the Eastern school of miniature art, but also a spiritual journey into the world of Navoi and Behzod.

This artwork, which inspires contemplation and invites one to conquer their inner “mountains,” is an eternal lesson in spirituality, labor, and love.

Laylo Abdukakhkharova
P.S.: The article may be used by citing the official website of the Center.