User:Ferialisam/Kitāb al-Diryāq

Kitāb al-Diryāq (Arabic: كتاب الدرياق, "The Book of Theriac"), also the Book of Anditodes of Pseudo-Galen or in French Traité de la thériaque, is a medieval Arabic manuscript supposedly based on the writings of Galen ("pseudo-Galen"). The work details the use of Theriac, an ancient medicinal compound initially used as a cure for the bites of poisonous snakes. Alongside the descriptions of poisons and their antidotes gathered from ancient texts, medieval Islamic physicians and pharmacists also authored their works focused on toxicology. These original writings were specifically dedicated to the study of poisons and their effects, drawing upon knowledge from Greek and Indian sources (Pancaroğlu, 156). These medieval Islamic scholars contributed to the field of toxicology by synthesizing and expanding upon existing knowledge, ultimately producing their comprehensive texts on the subject.

Made in the 12th century, the manuscripts serve as vehicles for the integration of philosophical notions into daily practices and socioreligious contexts. These artistic endeavors provided a platform for the exploration and dissemination of philosophical ideas, offering insights into the intellectual and spiritual currents of the time (Pancaroğlu, 155). During the twelfth century, artists and viewers were significantly influenced by prevalent ideas promoting interconnectedness and human potential within the cosmos. These concepts, namely the belief in a cosmic continuum highlighting the universe's unity and continuity, and the notion of man's microcosmic potential, suggesting individuals mirrored the universe's capabilities, deeply resonated within society. Consequently, artworks of this era, visually and textually, reflected a society deeply engaged with these notions, fostering a collective understanding of humanity's cosmic place and its potential for growth and realization (Pancaroğlu,155).

Two illustrated manuscript copies are extant, adorned with paintings revealing the social context at the time of their publication. The sequence of paintings in the Vienna Kitāb al-Diryāq manuscript provides insight into trends in manuscript illustration during the mid-thirteenth century. These paintings emphasize the significance of learning within the context of courtly prestige, suggesting that knowledge and education were esteemed as symbols of status and sophistication among the elite (Pancaroğlu, 168). Additionally, the representations of learning depicted in the manuscript are described as conventionalized, indicating adherence to established artistic conventions of the time. They serve as precursors to the evolving directions that would emerge in later thirteenth-century artistic production, suggesting continuity and progression in the thematic and stylistic elements depicted in illuminated manuscripts of the era (Pancaroğlu, 169).

The manuscripts describe various physicians of Antiquity, including Greek ones such as Andromachus the Elder, and their medical techniques. These manuscripts are generally attributed to the Jazira region of Syria and northern Ira (Pancaroğlu, 155). .

Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, MS. Arabe 2964 (1198–1199)

The older of the two copies, dated Rabi' I 595 (1199), is housed in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (arabe 2964), while the second copy, which dates to the middle of the thirteenth century, is kept in the National-Bibliothek, Vienna (A.F. 10). It is more commonly believed that the manuscripts originate in the Jazira, although at least one expert. believed both came from Iran due to the figural nature of the artwork. The Paris Kitāb al-Diryāq manuscript holds significant importance as it marks the initiation of a lengthy tradition of illustrated manuscripts while serving as one of the most comprehensive examples of the intellectually conceived and widely circulated visual humanism characteristic of the late Seljuq period.

The Paris manuscript’s frontispiece is composed of two seated women, each holding a crescent moon. The personification of the crescent moon as a tangible object in the possession of these two women would essentially represent their commemoration of the eclipse. The depiction of the crescent moon may symbolize various cultural associations rather than pride in an eclipse specifically. In many cultures, the crescent moon symbolizes femininity, fertility, and the cycles of nature, among other things. In this context, it could represent the lunar cycle, the passage of time, or even the concept of renewal and regeneration (cosmic continuum and microcosmic potential). Hence, portraying the crescent moon in the frontispiece could evoke these symbolic meanings. Corroborating the personification of the crescent moon symbolizing an eclipse would be the intertwined dragons that frame the women since “ the moon figure and the intertwined dragons could also be perceived as a discrete representation of the lunar eclipse (Pancaroğlu, 164). 4  Four winged angels surround the center figure.

The dignitaries in the paintings wear Turkic dress: a stiff coat with diagonal closing and armbands. Scenes of daily life, such as agricultural work in the fields, are also depicted.  Additionally, the ruler and attendants are similar to those found in the decorated Palmer Cup and in metalwork from the Mosul or North Jazira area, with their typical sharbush type of headgear and robes.

Andromachus the Younger visiting workers at the field. Kitdb al-dirydq, dated Rabi' I 595 (December 1198-January 1199). Paris, Biblioth!que Nationale, arabe 2964; current pagination 22. (Photo: Bibliothbque Nati (Pancaroğlu, 161). The agricultural scene depicted in the manuscript begins at the top left corner with the portrayal of a figure serving wine to an authoritative figure. The wine jug in the scene was inadvertently prepared with decomposed snake remains, which later turned out to be an antidote. This depiction exemplifies a frequent category in manuscript illustrations: a genre painting, i.e. (one that appears to have no direct correlation with the accompanying text). Notably, the donkey is cut off by the frame—a rarity in early manuscripts where typically all elements are depicted in their entirety within paintings (Pancaroğlu, 161).

Vienna, National Library of Austria, A.F. 10

This copy, from the second quarter of the 13th century, is thought to have been produced in Mosul.^[1] Although there is dedication in this manuscript, the paintings are quite similar to those of the court of Badr al-Din Lu'lu' in the Kitab al-Aghani (1218–1219) and may be related to this ruler.

The Vienna Kitaib al-diryaq manuscript opens with a frontispiece portraying a vibrant court scene centered around a prince, surrounded by numerous attendants. One attendant is depicted grilling meat before the prince, while gardeners tend to their work behind the royal pavilion. The background depicts multiple figures on horseback participating in hunting, while in the lower panel  a group of horseback riders leads a procession, trailed by two camels bearing veiled women and a child (Pancaroğlu,167).