Introduction: The Khavaran-nameh, a poetic work by Ibn Hussam Khosfi Birjandi, is among the significant illustrated manuscripts of the Turkmen period in Iran. Its 115 illustrations preserved at Golestan Palace provide valuable material for examining the relationship between literary narrative and visual composition in Iranian painting. These miniatures suggest that the organization of the pictorial space is determined not only by geometric principles but also by narrative content, the roles of key characters and the dramatic structure of individual scenes. Previous studies of Iranian miniature painting have largely focused on geometric proportions and formal structures, while the relationship between narrative themes and recurring compositional patterns has received less systematic attention. In the Khavaran-nameh, the placement of figures and other pictorial elements is shaped by both the narrative themes and the geometric ruling system of the page. The correspondence between the arrangement of verses and the pictorial frame further points to a close relationship between text and image. Accordingly, this study examines the compositional structures of the Khavaran-nameh miniatures, focusing on battle and non-battle scenes, the distribution of pictorial space, the placement of principal characters, and hidden geometric relationships between text and image.
Purposes & Questions: The main purpose of this research is to identify recurring compositional patterns in the illustrations of the Khavaran-nameh and examine their relationship with narrative themes and the geometric ruling system. It also seeks to determine how textual organization and narrative content contributed to relatively fixed compositional conventions. The study addresses two principal questions: 1) What is the relationship between the organization of pictorial elements, the narrative themes of the stories, and the geometric proportions of the ruling grid? 2) What recurring or fixed compositional patterns were employed by the illustrators of the Khavaran-nameh in different thematic situations? The study also considers whether battle and non-battle scenes follow distinct compositional principles and how these principles convey action, conflict, calmness, and narrative emphasis.
Methods: This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach with a developmental orientation and a network-geometric method. The research corpus comprises all 115 illustrations of the Khavaran-nameh preserved at Golestan Palace. Data were obtained from the published edition of the Khavaran-nameh (1381 SH) and compared with the Golestan Palace manuscript. The illustrations were classified according to their dominant themes, particularly battle and non-battle (calm) scenes. Each miniature was analyzed in terms of the distribution and position of pictorial elements, the scale and location of principal characters, the horizon line, longitudinal and lateral bisectors, golden points, and the relationship between the pictorial frame and the arrangement of verses. Attention was also given to significant narrative moments and visual elements, including sword strikes and dramatic climaxes. Recurring compositional structures were identified and interpreted according to their thematic functions.
Findings and Results: The findings show that composition in the Khavaran-nameh is shaped by two interconnected principles. The first is the ruling system that links text and image, through the vertical organization of verses and the geometric division of the pictorial frame. The second is the thematic arrangement of pictorial elements according to narrative content and the roles of principal characters. Of the 115 illustrations, 76 depict battle scenes and 39 represent non-battle or calm situations. Battle scenes follow a relatively stable pattern in which approximately three-quarters of the pictorial space is allocated to Imam Ali (PBUH), while the enemies are concentrated in the remaining lateral quarter. This distribution emphasizes the protagonist's power and narrative importance. Sword strikes and climactic moments are frequently positioned along vertical axes, while figures exiting the frame reinforce the sense of movement, flight, and defeat. In the 39 non-battle illustrations, a different compositional logic predominates. The principal character is often positioned in a corner of the frame and above the horizon line. Symmetrical or reversed compositions and arrangements based on central axes are especially common in dialogue and calm scenes, producing visual balance and stability. The analysis also reveals a hidden geometric system in which longitudinal and lateral bisectors function as visual axes. The arrangement of verses influences the geometric organization of the pictorial frame, demonstrating a systematic relationship between text and image. Thus, the composition of these miniatures cannot be explained solely through geometry; narrative themes also play a decisive role in shaping visual patterns. The research identifies recurring compositional conventions in the Khavaran-nameh and emphasizes the role of narrative themes in their formation. These findings provide a framework for analyzing composition in the Shiraz school and commercial styles of Iranian painting and contribute to understanding manuscript illustration practices during the Timurid and Turkmen periods. Overall, the miniatures reflect an interaction among narrative themes, hidden geometry, and the visual requirements of the manuscript, providing a basis for further development of a theory of composition in Iranian painting.