Term · tazhib

Illumination

تذهیب

Gold and colour ornament on manuscript pages, borders and headings.

Meaning

Gold and colour ornament on manuscript pages, borders and headings.

Spelling and pronunciation

  • Persian: تذهیب
  • Transliteration: tazhib
  • English usage: Illumination

Spellings vary between dealers, museums and regions. Usage notes are under review.

Used in these crafts

Persian miniature

The Iranian tradition of small-scale painting made for manuscripts and albums, built from fine line, flat luminous colour and layered spatial convention rather than single-point perspective.

Nasta'liq calligraphy

A hanging cursive script developed in Iran for Persian poetry, distinguished by its sloping baseline, sharply contrasted thick and thin strokes, and sweeping final letters.