Classical Azerbaijani art used Islamic styles and techniques. It included pottery, ceramics, metalwork, carpet-making, calligraphy, and manuscript illumination, especially the miniatures of the famous Tabriz school. Azerbaijani decorative arts were marked by exquisite craftsmanship and rich ornamentation. The art of the modern period had not fully emancipated itself from the domination of classical influences when it was faced with the constraints of Soviet controls and Socialist Realism. Only after the end of the Stalin era did Azerbaijani artists strive to make up for lost time and catch up with developments in the contemporary arts of the world.