The painted wood ceiling is an old art among Tajiks (Persians) in Central Asia and Iran. The masterworks can be seen on beautiful mosques, palaces and other buildings in Khojand, Samarqand, Bukhara, Esfahan, etc.

Art

The art culture of the country counts more than 8 millenniums. First on rock images were found by archeologists in Shakhty Grotto in Gorno Badakhshon (Pamir) at the altitude 4,100 m above sea level. They belong to the so – called “marcansuy” culture BC, most high – mountainous culture of Stone Age in the world.
The Tajik had a rich and old cultural history as witnesses by the excavations at north Tajikistsn (wild ram’s head cast of bronze – 5th – 3rd century BC, magnificent example of Scythians “animal style”), at south Tajikistan (gold buckle from Parkhar – 1st – 2nd century), at Penjikent (wall paintings, wood – carvings and clay sculptures – 5th - 7th century), the architectural monuments of Samarkand, Bukhara, Istaravshan, Khojent and by many illuminated manuscripts.
Prior of the spread of Islam into Central Asia in the eighth century, artists and artisans were not limited in the choice of subject matter for the decoration of their walls, textiles, customs, jewelry and everyday objects of wood, metal and clay. Patterns and motifs reflected ancient and deeply embedded animist and shamanist beliefs and traditions from nomad world, as well as the long – term cross – culture aesthetic influences of Persia, Europe, China and India, and the religious influences of Buddhism and Zoroastrianism.
The brilliant period for the art of the 6th – the first decades of the 8th centuries was interrupted a little later in the same 8th century by Arab conquest followed the islamization of the western Central Asia. Arabs wiped out all traces of pre – Islamic culture, ruined palaces with splendid wall – painting, burnt up remarkable Middle Persian and their contemporary Central  Asian (Soghds, etc.) memorial writings . Later on the art in the Tajikistan became more and more decorative like that of the whole Islamic world. Under Islam decoration became predominantly geometric and ornamental, composed of stylized plants and geometric patterns. It’s worth mentioning that Early Muslim art of the Arab caliphate was fed not only by the Byzantine and Iranian but also the Soghdian and Tokhoristanian culture and artistic traditions. On rock image of Paleolithic Age, monumental wall painting and lace carving of Middle Age, miniature painting and masterpieces of applied art – all these are part of historical – cultural processes in Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, in which the Tajik masters were active participants. Among them was the ingenious artist Kamaliddin Bekhzod (end of the XV century), whose creativity has rendered significant influence on development of painting in the Orient. However, the art of illustration and decoration in the Middle Ages, gradually declined, while the masters of decorative art working on architectural monuments confined themselves to the use of conventional devices. It was only in such crafts as metalwork, pottery and embroidery associated with the manufacture of household objects, that the national tradition flourished. For many centuries up to the Soviet times, the creative talent of the Tajiks found its outlet only in an unusually wide range of folk art. After Russian Revolution in 1917, contemporary figurative art was born appropriate to the new times, asserting the communist ideals of life.
The local masters began to learn about western art through Russia, and internationalization of the Tajik culture began in the turn of XIX – XX centuries. Painting by oil on a canvas becomes one of the main conductors of European art practice. Panting in workshops, and many genres – portrait, still – life, sculpture and monumental art develop gradually.
Now, about two hundred fifty artists lived and worked in Tajikistan. Their works are represented in National Museum named after Kammoliddin Behzod and various modern art galleries in Dushanbe and Khujand.