Iskandar Horoscope Canvas | Zeynep Elci

Iskandar Horoscope | Zeynep Elci

A reproduction work from Muhammad İbn Yahya al-Kashi ( 1411, İran )

Iskandar Sultan, grandson of Timurlane, reigned from 1409 to 1414 in Western Iran and became famous for his love of the arts. The manuscript from which this horoscopes comes was composed by Muhammad Ibn Yalya al-Kashi, who belonged to a renowned family of mathematicians and astronomers.The first, rather short section recounts the prince’s genealogy and his birth in Uzgend in Central Asia, along with the mathematical principles of horoscopes. The second, longer part recounts the prince’s life, lists his qualities and foretells his success. In fact, Iskandar Sultan was taken prisoner and executed in 1414 or 1415 on the order of his unce Shah Rukh. The horoscope is laid out as a large tablet framed by long, rectangular cartouches containing a poem celebrationg the prince’s glory, comparing him to a planet and to constellations.

In the center is a celestial sphere divided into twelve sections by the signs of zodiac against a starry background, the circle is completed by a list of properties of each sign. The four signs of Gemini, Aries, Pisces and Scorpio, which at the time of the prince’s birth protected the visible planets, extend the stars as far as the circumference of the circle and contain symbols of the planets and representations of scholars of astronomy. The rest of the circle is covered in gold arabesque on a blue background. In the four corners are angels bearing offerings for the prince, notably a crown.

What makes this image so appealing is not so much its content, which ceased to be of interest with the death of the prince, but the elegance, the suppleness and richness of the design and its colors. The tiny figures seem like pawns on a game board. This image appears to symbolize the arbitrariness of each man.’s destiny whether he be a prince or a simple subject. Also admirable is the way in which the motifs have been ornamentally transformed, their sole purpose being to enhance the viewer’s pleasure, even though the viewer may be unable to grasp the actual meaning of the image.

This piece by Zeynep Elci is the perfect finishing touch for your interior. With each print being made to order especially for you, you can rest easy knowing that only the finest, museum-standard materials and processes are used, creating incredibly sharp and vibrant giclée prints on a finely textured artist-grade cotton canvas. The print is stretched over professional artist stretcher bars milled from the finest quality kiln-dried knotless pine.  With proper care your print is guaranteed to last for more than 100 years.

We have partnered with a network of global print labs to automatically route orders to the nearest manufacturing facility as determined by the customer’s address. So we can individually fulfil each order as close to the customer as possible in order to reduce carbon footprint.

So whatever colours our artists use to create their art Your prints will be “Green” and here to enjoy for many years to come.