Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
11th-12th centuries, Qur'anic verses 12-38 of the 39th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Zumar (The Crowds), written in the Kufi script, New Style, during 11th-12th cent.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 15 (w) x 24 (h) cm
- On both the folio's recto and verso appear a tenth-verse marginal scalloped medallion painted in gold and provided with decorative red dots. On the recto, this medallion separates verse 20 from 21, while on the verso it separates verse 30 from 31. Verse markers within the text are quite inconspicuous, as they are executed as small yellow-beige circles that blend in with the color of the paper. Diacritics appear as red dots, while orthographic marks such as the duplication of a consonant (tashdid) and vowellessness (sukun) appear in red ink. The last three lines on the folio's verso have suffered damage and parts of the text were written in at a later date.
- The text is executed in Kufi script on a beige sheet of paper rather than on parchment. The script is in New Style I typical of vertical Qur'ans produced on paper during the 11th-12th centuries (Déroche 1992, 172-173, cat. no. 90).
- This calligraphic fragment includes verses 12-38 of the 39th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Zumar (The Crowds). This Meccan surah is the last of a series of six chapters, which describe the mysteries of the spiritual world and the Hereafter. It describes creation, as well as God's unicity, justice, and mercy.
- Script: Kufi
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
ca. 1250-1350, Qur'anic verses 68-69 of the 5th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Ma'idah (The Table), written in the Maghribi script during the 13th-14th Cent.
- A number of Qur'ans similar to this fragment were produced on the Iberian peninsula c. 1250-1500. They were made for the Nasrids ruling from Granada, Spain (1232-1492) and the Marinids, who reigned from their capital in Fez, Morrocco (1248-1340). This Qur'an executed in large maghribi script most likely was produced under Marinid patronage ca. 1250-1350. Its script, text layout (7 lines/page), blue and green ink for diacritics, and verse markers are typical of this period (Lings 1976, pls. 97-98; and James 1992a: 218-219, cat. no. 55).
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.2 (w) x 12 (h) cm
- Surat al-Ma'idah addresses the corruption of religion by the Jews and Christians, and heralds Islam as the last of the monotheistic traditions. However, it promises good tidings for all those who abide by their religious doctrines:
- The oxidized copper contained in the green dots -- which here are used for demarcating the hamzat al-wasl (long initial "a") -- has now eaten through the paper. Blue ink is used for the duplication of a consonant (tashdid) and the silence marks (sukun). Verse markers consist of three interlacing gold circles forming a tripartite knot decorated with colored centers, as seen on the 4th line of text on the recto of this fragment. In the lower right corner appears a catchword written diagonally in black ink. This word presents the continuation of the ayah and is intended to help properly foliate the manuscript. The ayah marker on the 4th line of the verso of this text comprises a gold 8-petalled flower on a brown background painted within a round medallion. This particular verse marker indicates a fifth verse.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
10th century, Qur'anic verses from chapters 69, 70, 76, and 77 of the Qur'an, written in Kufi (New Syle III) script during the 10th century.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 6 (w) x 8 (h) cm
- The folio on the left includes the terminal verses (46-52) of the 69th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Haqqah (The Truth), as well as the illuminated heading of the 70th chapter entitled al-Ma'arij (The Ways of Ascent). The 70th surah continues with verses 1-5 on the verso of this fragment (see 1-87-154.82a V, left). The left folio is most closely associated with a bifolio from the same Qur'an in the collections of the Library of Congress, which contains verses 1-19 of Surah al-Haqqah (1-84-154.28b R & V). It appears that these folios were drawn from a manuscript (1417) formerly in the Chester Beatty Library (see A.J. Arberry, "A Koran in 'Persian' Kufic," Oriental College Magazine [May and August 1964]: 9-16).
- The folio on the right includes the terminal verses (30-31) of the 76th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Insan (Man) and the illuminated heading and first three verses of the 77th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Mursalat (Those Sent Out). The verso of the right folio includes immediately preceding verses (25-30) of the 76th chapter (see 1-87-154.82a V, right).
- The text is written in Kufi (New Syle III). Red dots indicate vocalization, while vowel signs and orthoepics (pronunciation marks) were added in black ink at a later date. One dot below the letter ra (r) serves to differentiate it from the zayn (z). The script, vocalization marks, and vertical format show some of the advances in Kufi calligraphy and Qur'an production during the 10th century (see (Déroche 1992: 144-145, cat. no. 79).
- This calligraphic fragment includes two folios with verses from chapters 69, 70, 76, and 77 of the Qur'an.
al-Baydawi's "Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil" (with frontispiece)
al-Baydawi's "Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil" (with frontispiece)
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
14th-15th centuries, A work of popular Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir) composed by the thirteenth-century scholar al-Baydawi.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11.4 (w) x 18.3 (h) cm. Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 11.7 (w) x 19.2 (h) cm.
- Script: Verso: naskh and riq'ah
- The center panel contains a variety of polygonal shapes interlacing to form a carpet page with a palette dominated by brown, gold, and blue hues. The centerpiece consists of an octagonal panel containing the author's names and titles written in white ink on a gold background containing black vine-like designs. Although the panel's calligraphy is now barely legible, some of al-Baydawi's titles are legible: these include al-shaykh (the theologian), al-'adil (the just), and al-qadi (the jurist). These epithets are appropriate for al-Baydawi as he was a respected and prolific expert on Qur'anic exegesis and Islamic law, jurisprudence, and theology.
- The left margin contains a decorative roundel with a quatrefoil on a gold circle, framed by a blue perimeter, and a now illegible owner's seal impression appears at the top left corner.
- The panel's decoration of alternating brown and blue polygons with overlaid white palmettes and arabesques appear to radiate from the central octagon. The effect is one that approaches intarsia, in which a variety of wooden panels are inlaid and put together like mosaic work. These particular patterns, as well as the gold-blue hues, characterize illuminated frontispieces that appear at the beginning of Mamluk Qur'ans and other texts produced in Egypt during the 14th and 15th centuries (Lings and Safadi 1976: 55, no. 75 and pl. IX). However, the roughness of the decoration's and calligraphy's execution on the title page (and the folio's verso) suggests that this particular manuscript was not a royal commission.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
9th century, Qur'anic verses 85-88 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-An'am (The Cattle), written in Kufi script is in the D.I. style on parchment during the 9th cent.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.8 (w) x 14.7 (h) cm
- The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at six lines per page, surrounded by a gold painted frame. Verses on the fragment's recto have worn off substantially, as they have been executed on the flesh side of the parchment. On the recto's third line appears a fifth-verse marker separating verse 85 from 86. It is in the shape of a gold upturned virgule. Other verse markers on the recto and verso take the form of a gold painted flower with a central blue dot. Diacritics appear as red dots and marks for vowellesness (sukun) as green dots. Other diacritical marks are shaped as diagonal strokes and may have been inserted at a later date.
- The text's Kufi script is in the D.I. style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th century (Déroche 1992, p. 69, cat. no. 21).
- This calligraphic fragment includes verses 85-88 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-An'am (The Cattle). This late Meccan surah describes the nature of God and how He reveals Himself. Verses 85-88 in particular describe a number of prophets such as Jesus, Elias, and Jonah as capable of guiding believers to the "straight path" (al-sirat al-mustaqim).
- Script: Kufi
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
18th century, Arabic work titled: "Spousal Advice" in Thuluth script from 18th Cent. Mughal India.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 18.4 (w) x 17.6 (h) cm
- First line of text: line 2 / Second line of text: line 4 / Third line of text: line 6 / Fourth line of text: line 5 (up-side-down) / Fifth line of text: line 3 (up-side-down) / Sixth line of text: line 1
- The fragment is signed up-side-down between the last two lines of text. The "servant" calligrapher 'Abdallah states that he has written this piece (mashaqahu al-'abd 'Abdallah), but he does not provide a date. The calligrapher may be identified as 'Abdallah Lahuri, who was active in Lahore during the 18th century. Another fragment of his work executed in nasta'liq script, is also held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-04-713.19.43). After the death of Aurangzeb (d. 1707), Mughal power was decentralized and royal patronage of calligraphy declined. The rise of new styles emerged in cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Lahore, where calligraphers such as 'Abdallah sought out patronage from local rulers and seem to have had the freedom to experiment with a number of different calligraphic scripts.
- These husbandly recommendations seek to promote goodness and piety in a woman who is also a mother. The saying belongs to the broader category of advice (nasihat) in Arabic moral literature.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
18th-19th centuries, Qur'anic Chapters 1 and 114 written in fine shikastah (literally, "broken") script during the 18th-19th centuries in Iran.
- Below the Fatihah appears one of the shortest chapters of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Nas (Mankind). It praises God as the Lord of Mankind (Malak al-Nas) and as the Protector from Satan (literally, the "Whisperer"):
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.2 (w) x 14.5 (h) cm
- In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. / Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds; / The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; / Master of the Day of Judgment (yawm al-din). / You do we worship, and Your aid do we seek. / Show us the straight way, / The way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.
- Say, I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind, / the King of Mankind, / The God of Mankind, / From the mischief of the Whisperer (al-waswas) who withdraws / And who whispers in the hearts of mankind among the spirits and men.
- These two short surahs from the Qur'an appear together here probably because they are short, easily memorized, and recited aloud. It is quite unusual, however, to find Qur'anic verses executed in shikastah, a very fluid script invented in Persia (Iran) by the 18th-century calligrapher Darvish 'Abd al-Majid al-Taliqani (Tavoosi 1987: 34-35). During the 18th and 19th centuries, Qur'ans were written in naskh or nasta'liq, as these scripts were more legible than shikastah. For this reason, this particular fragment stands out as scarce proof that some Qur'anic ayahs were executed in shikastah in Iran during the 18th-19th centuries.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
15th century, Qur'anic verses in the Masahif style of Arabic calligraphic writing.
- Below the chapter heading in gold executed in pseudo-eastern Kufi script, a cursive transcription of the same heading is written in blue thuluth. It states that the chapter consists of thirty-seven ayat and was revealed in Mecca. The blue transcription was probably added at a later date to clarify the rather illegible surah heading, as well as to give the proper number of verses (although the numbers 30 and 7 are transposed in the transcription).
- Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 17.8 (h) cm
- Recto: Script: masahif
- The first verse of al-Jathiyah appearing after the initial bismillah ("In the Name of God"), contains only the two letters "h" (ha) and "m" (mim), a double-letter combination appearing at the beginning of surahs 40-46, all dated from the later Meccan period. These abbreviated letters (al-muqatta'at) usually appear in various combinations at the opening of certain surahs in the Qur'an. Because the exact meaning of each letter or letter combination remains unclear, the letters also are referred to as the "mystery" letters. This appellation suggests that only God knows their exact, esoteric meanings (for a discussion of the mystery letters, see Qur'an 2001: 122-4, Appendix I).. In this particular case, it may be suggested that the ha stands for Hayy ("God the Living") and the mim for Qayyum ("God the Eternal"), and thus combine the dual concepts of life and death (Qur'an 2001, 1203). However, the meaning of these two letters remains purely conjectural.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
9th-10th centuries, Qur'anic verses 19-31 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al- An'am (The Cattle), written in Kufi script related to the D.Va style , on parchment during the 9th-10th cents.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 29.2 (w) x 21 (h) cm
- The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at thirteen lines per page. Diacritics appear as red dots, and verse markers as little gold rosettes. The text on the fragment's recto has worn off substantially since it is executed on the flesh side of the parchment. A large blue and gold medallion inscribed with the term 'ashrun (twenty) located on the fourth line of text separates verses 20 and 21. In the left margin of the fourth line, moreover, appears the word nisf (half) written in gold ink in order to mark off this particular portion (juz') of the text.
- The text on the fragment's verso is better preserved as it is executed on the hair side of the parchment. Here, a fifth-verse marker in the shape of a gold upturned virgule is included on the second line and separates verses 25 and 26. On the penultimate line of text, moreover, appears a larger tenth-verse gold painted medallion that separates verses 30 and 31.
- The text's Kufi script appears related to the D.Va style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th-10th centuries (Déroche 1992, 100-105, cat. nos. 48-51).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
12th century, Qur'anic verses 105-114 of the 4th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nisa' (The Women), written in Kufi (New Style I), a script typical of the 12th century.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 22 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm
- God does not forgive the sin of joining other gods with Him (polytheism), / But He forgives whom He pleases of other sins than this. / One who joins other gods with Him, however, / Has strayed far away from the right path. (4:116)
- If anyone does evil or wrongs his own soul / But afterwards seeks God's forgiveness, / He will find God Forgiving and Merciful. (4:110)
- Surat al-Nisa' addresses the social concerns of the Muslim community, in particular the rights of women and orphans, as well as the laws governing inheritance, marriage, and family rights. It also warns of deceit, polytheism, and the lure of evil, but stresses God's forgiveness:
- The yellow "ha'" or virgule-shaped medallion in the left margin of the recto demarcates the end of five verses, in this case verse 105 (which also marks a new section in Surat al-Nisa'). The large verse marker in the center of the recto of the text consists of a decorative yellow circle with plain petals dotted on their outside borders. This medallion marks a tenth verse, located on the recto between verses 111 and 112. Another yellow "ha'" or virgule-shaped medallion in the right margin demarcates the end of five verses, in this case verse 115. The large verse marker in the center of the verso of the text consists of a decorative yellow circle with plain petals dotted on their outside borders. This medallion marks a tenth verse, located here between verses 121 and 122.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
18th-19th centuries, Sample calligraphies from India, Central Asian and Persia (Shared Content) Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu and Uzbek)
- Panels executed in a variety of scripts, especially those which utilize the flower and fish scripts, seem to date from the 18th and 19th centuries and were made in Iran and India. For example, a calligraphic panel executed by the Persian calligrapher Husayn Zarrin Qalam in 1212/1797-8 held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-85-154.95) also includes a number of whimsical scripts and motifs. Panels such as these appear to have been used as wall hangings, as this fragment indicates by the remaining attached string at the top of the panel. Perhaps also intended for their protective powers, they could include specific Qur'anic verses such as ayat al-kursi (the Throne Verse, Qur'an 2:255), part of which appears in the center of the fragment's top horizontal margin.
- The calligrapher Hakim Sayyid Hamid 'Abbas al-Taqawi al-Bukhari has included his name in the center of the bottom horizontal margin, where he states that he has written the work (katabahu). Although he is unknown, his name suggests that he was originally from the city of Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan. He probably migrated to India to seek patronage from a Mughal patron such as Ditya, for whom he executed this panel of his honorifics.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
11th-12th centuries, Qur'anic verses 12-16 of the 4th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nisa' (The Women), written in Kufi script (New Style I) during the 11th-12th centuries.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 22 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm
- Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 22.3 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm
- If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, / Take the evidence of four (reliable) witnesses / From among you and against them. / And if they testify, confine them to their houses / Until death claims them, / Or God ordain for them some (other) way. If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, / Punish them both. / If they repent and amend, / Leave them alone. / For God is Returning and Merciful. (4:15)
- No verse markers appear on this fragment. However, the verso of 1-89-154.176b includes an ayah marker constructed as a plain six-petalled flower decorated by a central red dot and marked on its perimeter by alternating red and gold circles.
- Script: Kufi (New Style I)
- The text is executed in Kufi script (New Style I) with thick strokes of black ink, and vowels are marked by red dots. Some diagonal lines representing diacritical marks were added at a later date. The script is typical of Qur'ans executed during the 11th-12th centuries (Déroche 1992: 172-3, cat. no. 90).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
19th century, Shi'i stamped amulet produced in 19th-century India in Arabic.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 16.5 (w) x 21 (h) cm
- In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. / God, there is no God but He, / The Living, the Self-subsisting, the Eternal. / No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep. / All things in heaven and earth are His. / Who could intercede in His presence without His permission? / He knows what appears in front of and behind His creatures. / Nor can they encompass any knowledge of Him except what He wills. / His throne extends over the heavens and the earth, / and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them, / for He is the Highest and Most Exalted. / God, the Most High, speaks the truth.
- In the outer rectangular frame appears ayat al-kursi (the Throne Verse), verse 255 of the 2nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Baqarah (The Cow). It is often found on talismanic objects. The words to ayat al-kursi are inscribed within medallion-like panels and read:
- In the upper portion of the amulet appear two squares inscribed with magic numbers. The dome and two flanking minarets of a mosque are represented in the top center rectangle, along with the combined letters ta-ha (t-h) and ya-sin (y-s). These mysterious letters stand for two chapters, or surahs, of the Qur'an (20 and 36). In the central horizontal panel appears the double-edged sword of 'Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law, and invocations to God ("Ya huwa," or "Oh He/God"). Two concentric circles with a central flower are inscribed in the lowest central square. This circle contains God's name in its center (Allah) and several of His so-called Beautiful Names (al-asma' al-husnah). In each of the four corners around the circle's perimeter appear the names of the angels Jibra'il (Gabriel), Mika'il (Michael), 'Azra'il (the Angel of Death), and Israfil (the Angel of the Trumpet).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
16th century, Calligraphic prayer panel in Arabic, writen in black Thuluth script, in Tabriz? During the Safavid era, 16th Cent.
- 'Ala al-Din Tabrizi was a calligrapher active during the reign of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-76), for whom he executed royal decrees (firmans). He executed a number of inscriptions placed on buildings in the cities Tabriz, Karbalah, and Qazvin (Safwat 1996: 84-88 and cat. no. 43, and 134-5, cat. no. 65; Huart 1972, 103; and Qadi Ahmad 1959, 79).
- Although the later inscription attributes the specimen to 'Ala' al-Din, it is unclear whether this Arabic prayer indeed was written by the great Safavid master calligrapher.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.6 (w) x 4.7 (h) cm
- The line of text is executed on beige paper and outlined in a cloud band on a gold background. It also is provided with a number of colored frames and is pasted to a larger sheet of orange paper backed by cardboard. The lower left corner of the line of text contains a square seal impression with the barely legible names: 'abduhu (his servant) Muhsin (or Muhyi) al-Musavi and the date 1154/1741-2. Above the line of text and in the center of the green frame appears a minute a posteriori inscription, which reads: khatt-i marhum 'Ala' al-Din Tabrizi, shahir bi-Mawlana 'Alabeg ast ("the handwriting of the deceased 'Ala' al-Din Tabrizi, who is known as Mawlana 'Alabeg").
- This calligraphic panel includes a single line of Arabic text executed in black thuluth script. A simple prayer towards God, it reads:
- Yakad yumasikuhu 'irfan rahatihi rukn al-hatim / The grasping of God (al-hatim) brings the knowledge of His comfort.
- Script: thuluth
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
20th century, Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.2 (w) x 15 (h) cm
- An Arabic calligraphic work with an introduction (muqadimmah) to perhaps even a sermon (khutbah), signed by Muhammad Ja'far, who states has authored this piece (mashaqahu).
- The work is written in black naskh script and is fully vocalized, an indication that the text may have been read aloud. It is written on brown paper and its right margin is demarcated by two pyramids comprised of three black dots.
- This fragment in Arabic provides an introduction (muqadimmah) to an otherwise unidentified work, perhaps even a sermon (khutbah). Beginning with the bismillah, the text continues with a prayer of blessing for those whom God has selected. On the very last line appears the signature of a certain Muhammad Ja'far, who states that he has written this piece (mashaqahu).
- Script: naskh
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
c. 1550-1600, Ottoman, Safavid Style Arabic Quranic Page.
- Although only one illuminated folio remains, it originally would have created a double-page illuminated du'a. This layout is typical of Safavid Persian Qur'ans from the second half of the 16th century (see James 1992b: 178-9, cat. no. 43), as well as Ottoman Turkish Qur'ans from the same period. For instance, a similar prayer appears immediately at the end of an Ottoman Turkish Qur'an dated 980/1573, now held in the Keir Collection in London, England (VII.49; Robinson 1976, 294). Due to similarities in script (in which three lines of text in gold alternate with a line in white ink), composition, and illumination, the prayer fragment here probably dates from the second half of the 16th century as well.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 9.5 (w) x 19 (h) cm. Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 9.5 (w) x 19 (h) cm.
- Immediately below the last verse of the Qur'an appears a prayer in five lines praising God, the Prophet Muhammad, and all Prophets (or messengers, al-mursilin) of Islam. The continuation of this terminal du'a (or formulaic prayer) continues in illuminated bands on the folio's verso (see 1-85-154.74 V and James 1992b: 178-9, cat. no. 43). The prayer is beautifully calligraphed in large Ottoman naskh in alternating gold and blue ink.
- This fragment contains on the top line the last two verses (ayat) of the last chapter (surah) of the Qur'an, entitled Surat al-Nas (Chapter of Mankind). This particular chapter extols seeking refuge in the Lord from Satan, who, like the spirits (al-jinn), whispers evil things in the hearts of people (116:5-6). The verses at the top of the folio are separated by two ayah markers shaped like gold disks with five blue dots on their peripheries.
- This prayer is said upon completion of the Qur'an (al-du'a ba'd khatim al-Qur'an), in which God is praised as the all-hearing (al-sami') and the all-knowing (al-'alim). It continues the initial, non-illuminated five-line prayer on the folio's recto (1-85-154.74 R) and serves as an appropriate closing to the Holy Book. In some cases, illuminated terminal prayers in rectangular bands such as this one precede a four-page treatise on how to practice divination (fal) using the letters of the Qur'an (see 1-84.154.42 R).
- Script: Ottoman naskh
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
16th-17th centuries, The ephemerality of the world, written in Nasta'liq script and produced in 16th or 17th-century Iran.
- (left vertical): Cha danad kasi ghayr-i parvardagar / Who knows except for God
- (right vertical): Mara bi-juz'-i tu dar hama-yi afaq yar nist / We have no other friend beside you in the whole world
- (with the missing subsequent verse from Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" (The Book of Kings):
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.7 (w) x 25.9 (h) cm
- Dunya guzaran u khud cha garmi az an / Aknun ka nasim-i sard piri-st vazan / Bar barg cha i'itimad u bar shakh-i darakht / Khasah vaqti ka mivazad bad-i khazan
- Each calligraphic panel is cut out and pasted on the black background, which is provided with a pink frame decorated with gold leaves. The composition is pasted to a larger white sheet of paper decorated with gold, blue, and red flowers and backed by cardboard.
- ka farda cha bezi kunad ruzagar / How the wind will play tomorrow
- The four horizontal verses inscribed in black nasta'liq script on the illuminated ground of the central panel also describe the impermanence of the world:
- The fragment is neither dated nor signed. However, it appears to have been produced in 16th or 17th-century Iran and placed later into an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies.
- The world passes and how engaged you are in it / Now that a cold breeze of old age blows / What trust in the leaf and the branch of the tree / Especially when the autumn wind (begins to) blow
- This calligraphic panel includes a number of verses describing the transience of worldly goods. Two lines of Arabic poetry appear in the upper horizontal panels, and two lines of Persian poetry frame the central text panel on the right and left vertical:
- Script: nasta'liq
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
1142/1729-30, Arabic blessings to a ruler on the occasion of 'id, written in Arabic by Persian calligrapher Muhammad 'Ali in the Naskh script.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.9 (w) x 22 (h) cm
- In the lower left corner, the calligrapher (Muhammad) 'Ali has signed his work and dated it 1142/1729-30. It appears that the original calligrapher's name, which included the name 'Ali, was erased purposefully. It is possible, therefore, that the date constitutes a later corrective as well.
- Nevertheless, text panels such as this one, providing various Arabic-language prayers in naskh script, were made by the famous naskh-revival Persian calligraphers Mirza Ahmad Nayrizi (d. 1152/1739) and his followers. For this reason, it is seems most likely that this piece was executed by a Persian calligrapher active during the 18th century.
- This calligraphic fragment provides Arabic blessings to a ruler on the occasion of 'id. A number of the patron's epithets and titles are included in the text, which is executed in black naskh script on a beige paper. The words are fully vocalized in black and are framed by cloud bands on a gold background. The text panel is framed by a border decorated with red, blue, and green flower and vine motifs and is pasted to a larger salmon-orange colored piece of paper backed by cardboard.
- Script: naskh
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
14th century, In Rayhani script, a Quranic page, probable location of 13 century Iran.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.5 (w) x 8.8 (h) cm
- The calligraphy is executed in rayhani script. This writing style is most closely associated with the master calligrapher Yaqut al-Musta'simi (d. 1298) and Qur'ans produced in Iran during the 13th and 14th centuries. It is related to other cursive styles, in particular naskh and muhaqqaq. Unlike these latter two scripts, its sublinear letters display less depth of curve below the line, are more angular, and point to the left, thus giving the script more momentum (Lings and Safadi 1976, 42). The diacritical marks-- i.e. the vowels, quiet stops (sukun), and orthographic signs such as the doubling of letters (tashdid), etc-- always are executed with a finer pen than the characters of the script (Safadi 1979, 72). As seen in this fragment, the diacritical marks are much smaller, thinner, and in a lighter brown color, thus emphasizing the letters on the main line of script and alleviating the interlinear spaces.
- The verses are separated by ayah markers constructed of simple gold circles outlined in dark brown ink. Above the verses appear a variety of recitation marks (signs for stops, or 'alamat al-waqf) mostly in red ink. Other marks in sloppy blue ink appear on the third line to elongate the "a" sound or add the last letter "s" to the truncated word "souls" (al-nufus). These added marks show that the fragment was utilized throughout the centuries.
- This calligraphic fragment shows a collector's interest in preserving only verses 81:1-14, as they represent a complete picture of eschatological events. Neither the chapter's title is preserved (despite the appearance of the top bismillah), nor are the surah's subsequent verses, which move on to a different topic. The calligraphy in brown ink appears on its original laminated beige folio, with multicolored frames and blue-purple borders pasted rather clumsily (Selim 1979, 168).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
19th century, Levha (panel) in honor of Imam 'Ali, writen in Arabic with Persian eulogistic quatrain honoring Persian kings Jamshid and Feridun. Typical of 19th-century Ottoman-Turkish calligraphic traditions.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.4 (w) x 15.1 (h) cm
- Executed on a thick beige piece of paper, the calligraphic panel is provided with a frame decorated with painted gold flower motifs. The right and left vertical borders show vestigial traces of white-and-blue marble (ebru or abri) paper, suggesting that the panel at one time was pasted onto a sheet of marble paper and included in an album of calligraphies.
- Immediately below the inscription eulogizing 'Ali appear several lines executed in red (vocalized in blue ink), blue (vocalized in red ink), and black (vocalized in red ink) praising the Imam, the Prophet Muhammad, and God. The four diagonal lines executed in blue ink provide a supplementary eulogistic quatrain in honor of a ruler by drawing a parallel to the great Persian kings Jamshid and Feridun.
- In the lower right corner, the artist Farid al-Din has signed his work with the expression katabahu Farid al-Din ("Farid al-Din wrote this"). Unfortunately, this single calligraphic panel (levha or lawha) is not dated. As levhas are typical of 19th-century Turkish calligraphic traditions, it is quite possible that this piece was executed at the time for a patron with Shi'i inclinations either in Turkey or Iran.
