Kitoblar

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Abu al-Ma'ali

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714521

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

16th-17th centuries, Safavid style Persian calligraphy fragmentary with a poem by Nizami, in the Nasta'liq script. - (For) every idol that they fashioned / They sewed a robe the size of its body / Not everyone can be the confidant of power / Not every donkey can carry Jesus - Dimensions of Written Surface: 18.7 (w) x 12 (h) cm - Har sanami-ra ka bar afrukhtand / Jama bar andanza-yi tan dukhtand / Mahram-i dawlat nabavad har sari / Bar-i Masiha nakashad har khari - The text is signed by a certain Abu al-Ma'ali, whose name appears in an opposite diagonal at the center of the composition. Although sharing his name with the reputed calligrapher Abu al-Ma'ali 'Izz al-Din 'Abd al-Wahhab Zanjani (d. 606/1292), a disciple of Yaqut al-Musta'simi (Huart 1972, 82), the Abu al-Ma'ali who composed this fragment in nasta'liq script must have been active at a much later date. The composition, which recalls a number of Safavid calligraphic exercises (siyah mashq) in its formal make-up and calligraphic style, must have been executed during the 16th or 17th century. - The verses are executed in dark brown ink on a beige paper framed by a blue border. It is pasted to a larger sheet of beige paper decorated with green flecks of paint and backed by cardboard. - This calligraphic fragment includes several verses from Nizami's (d. 614/1218) "Divan" (Compendium of Poems). Beginning with an invocation to God, the verses then describe how certain things and people fulfill a particular role in the world: - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Muhammad Riza Kitabdar

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714551

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

18th century, A Persian iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, promoting personal independence, written in the black Nasta'liq script by calligrapher Muhammad Riza "Kitabdar" from Lahore (India/Pakistan). - Bi-hich yar mada khatir u bi-hich diyar / Ka barr u bahr farakh-ast u adami bisyar / Garat hazar badi' ul-jamal pish ayad / Babin u buguzar u khatir bi-hich yak masapar - Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.8 (w) x 17.2 (h) cm - Do not get tied to any person or to any place / Because the land and sea are vast and people are many / If a thousand beautiful ones come towards you / Look, move on, and do not get attached to anybody - Executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper, the verses are highlighted from the cloud motifs formed by the gold painted background. The text panel is decorated by salmon and blue borders decorated with gold motifs and pasted to a larger sheet of brown paper backed by cardboard. - In the lower left corner, the calligraphic specimen has been signed by a certain Muhammad Riza "Kitabdar" ("the Librarian"). On the verso of this fragment, a later note attributes the work to a certain "Muhammad Riza Lahuri" as well. Judging from these two notes, it appears that Muhammad Riza was a librarian-calligrapher active in Lahore. He may have formed part a group of calligraphers active in Lahore during the 18th century, which included 'Abdallah Lahuri (1-04-713.19.43), Muhammad Zahir Lahuri (1-04-713.19.40), and Muhammad Muhsin Lahuri (1-04-713.19.52). - This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, promoting personal independence and the renunciation of attachment (khatir) to people and places. Beginning with an invocation to God as the Glorified (huwa al-mu'izz), the verses read: - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

-

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714626

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

17th-18th centuries, Collection of literary compositions (munsha'at) on appropriate praises to a ruler, written in Indian ta'liq script during the 17th and 18th centuries. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 24.8 (h) cm - Executed in black Indian ta'liq, the text is outlined in gold cloud bands on a beige paper. The background is decorated with delicate flower and vine motifs painted in gold. In the lower panel, three lines of text are written diagonally, while the empty spaces in the upper left and lower right corners of this panel are filled by illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces). The text panel is framed by two blue borders and pasted to a pink sheet of paper backed by cardboard. - This fragment probably formed part of a collection of literary compositions (munsha'at) showing how to write appropriate praises to a ruler. Like this piece, a number of these calligraphies appear to have been executed in ta'liq script in India during the 17th and 18th centuries (see 1-85-154.4). Other works of insha' providing examples of how to compose letters to a friend made in India at this time also are held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-87-154.146a R et seq.). - This particular fragment shows how to compose a formal praise (na't or munajat) to a ruler using his many honorific epithets (alqab). It provides a blueprint for the literary protocols used in addressing a high-ranking patron. - Script: Indian ta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Mir 'Ali

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714673

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

ca. 1500-1550, Prayers for safety and success in Persian in black Nasta'liq script by the calligrapher Mir 'Ali Heravi (d. 951/1544-5) during the Shaybanid period. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 6.1 (w) x 15.2 (h) cm - Jahanat bi-kam u falak yar bad / Jahan afarinat nigahdar bad / Bi-kam-i tu bada hama-yi kar-i tu / Khudavand-i giti nigahdar-i tu / Dil u kishvarat jam' u ma'mur bad / Za mulkat paragandagi dur bad - May the world be (your) fortune and the firmament (your) friend / May the World-Creator (God) protect (you) / May all your works be successful / May God of the World look after you / May your heart and your kingdom be collected and well-frequented / May division stay far away from your realm - Other calligraphic fragments written by, or attributed to, Mir 'Ali are held in the collections of the Library of Congress. See, for example, 1-04-713.19.38, 1-87-154.158, 1-87-154.159, 1-88-154.65, and 1-90-154.180. - The verses, both diagonal and horizontal, are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper. They are framed by cloud bands and placed on a gold background decorated with vine motifs and blue flowers. Salmon and blue borders decorated with gold-painted flowers and leaves frame the text panel, which is pasted to a larger blue sheet of paper decorated with gold bouquets. The entire fragment is backed by cardboard for strengthening purposes. - This calligraphic fragment includes verses in Persian praying for the patron's personal well-being and the prosperity of his kingdom. The verses read: - While the upper right triangle of the text panel includes an ornamental blue finial, the lower left triangular panel includes the signature of the calligrapher Mir 'Ali, who designates himself as the "poor" (al-faqir). Mir 'Ali Heravi (d. 951/1544-5) was a calligrapher in nasta'liq script active in the city of Herat (modern-day Afghanistan) during the 16th century until he was taken to Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan) in 935/1528-9 by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydallah Khan Uzbek (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 126-131). - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Imad al-Hasani

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714662

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

early 17th century, Quatrain of Kamal al-Din Isma'il (d. 634/1237), written by calligrapher 'Imad al-Hasani active in Safavid Persia and Mughal India. - An zulf nagar bar rukh-i an shuhra sanam / Avikhta bi jang u khusumat dar ham / Va an abru bin basan-i gushti giran / Sar suya sar avarda u qadha zada kham - Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.8 (w) x 19.4 (h) cm - Look at that strand of hair and the face of that famous idol / It (the hair) is knotted up without a battle or adversary / Look at those eyebrows, which like wrestlers / Go head to head and arch their backs. - Many works in international collections are signed by him (inter alia, Safwat 1996, cat. nos. 53 and 62; and Lowry and Beach 1988: no. 456), although whether all these pieces are by his hand remains uncertain. Other calligraphies bearing his name in the collections of the Library of Congress include: 1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-85-154.77, 1-90-154.162, and 1-99-106.13 R. - The calligrapher has signed his work diagonally below the last verse, with the expression "katabahu al-'abd al-mudhnib 'Imad al-Hasani" (written by the humble servant, 'Imad al-Hasani). In the triangular panel below his signature and above the third line of poetry, 'Imad al-Hasani asks for God's mercy and forgiveness for his sins. Mir 'Imad (d. 1615) was born in 1552, spent time in Herat and Qazvin, and finally settled in Isfahan (then capital of Safavid Persia), where, as a result of his implication in court intrigues, he was murdered in 1615. He was a master of nasta'liq script, whose works were admired and copied by his contemporaries, and later collected by the Mughals (Welch et al 1987: 32-36). - These verses describe the loved one's hair and eyes. The woman's hair is perfectly disheveled and her curved eyebrows meet in the center of her forehead, in the shape of wrestlers hunched over and ready for combat. - This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, written by the famous mystical ('irfani) poet Shaykh Kamal al-Din Isma'il al-Isfahani (d. 634/1237). The author's name appears in the upper right illuminated corner (or thumbpiece) of the text panel. The four lines of verses are written in black nasta'liq in diagonal, framed by cloud bands, and placed on a gold background. The verses read: - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714671

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

early 17th century, Persian quatrain eulogizing a king, written in black Nasta'liq script by the calligrapher Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib during the 17th Cent. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm - In the lower left corner, the calligrapher Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib states that he has copied the text (namaqahu) and asks God to forgive his shortcomings. Rukn al-Din was nicknamed al-Tabib ("the doctor") as he came from a long line of royal physicians and he himself held high position at the court (divan) of Shah 'Abbas I (r. 1587-1629) in Isfahan (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 169-170). However, since the ruler did not get well after a bout of illness, he requested that Rukn al-Din reimburse his salary and forced him to leave the capital city. The calligrapher headed to Mashhad (northeastern Iran), from where he then journeyed to Balkh (modern-day Afghanistan) and eventually arrived in India (Huart 1972, 221). He is known as a master of the nasta'liq style, and he may have executed this eulogistic quatrain for Shah 'Abbas I when they were on better terms. - Oh King, may the mornings of your fortune / Last until the morning of [the Day of] Gathering / May good luck take you to the utmost limit of hope / And may the evil eye not reach you - One other calligraphic sample by Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib is held in the collections of the Library of Congress: see 1-84-154.48. - Padishahha subuh-i dawlat-i tu / Mutassil ba sabah-i mahshar bad / Bakht-i nikat bi-muntahah-yi umid / Barasanad u chasm-i bad marasad - The poet wishes a king good fortune until the end of time (literally, until the Day of Gathering [mahshar] on the Last Judgment) and eternal protection against envy (that is, the evil eye, or chasm-i bad). - This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, in honor of a king. Written diagonally in black nasta'liq script and framed by cloud bands on a rather crudely painted purple background, the verses read: - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

-

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714674

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

18th-19th centuries, A page from "Rawzat al-Safa'" (The Garden of Purity), a Persian historical encyclopedia from the Timurid author Mirkhwand (d. 903/1498), written Indian Ta'liq script in the 18th-19th centuries, from Indian Shi'i regions. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.1 (w) x 22.7 (h) cm - The imam is described as going one day to a mountainous place where he sees a group of Christians looking for a monk (rahib) in a monastery (dayr) from which he had not exited for an entire year. Although the remaining portion of the story is lost, the last word (wa, "and") and the number 12 in the lower left corner hint that the text may have continued on a subsequent page. - The text is executed in black ta'liq typical of the 18th and 19th centuries, while the theme of its text suggests an Indian Shi'i milieu. Written diagonally on a cream-colored paper, the text panel is framed by a dark green border outlined in red and mounted to a cardboard for strengthening. - This fragment includes a section of the "Rawzat al-Safa'" (The Garden of Purity), a Persian historical encyclopedia composed by the prolific Timurid author Mirkhwand (d. 903/1498). This particular excerpt begins with an invocation to God as the Glorified (huwa al-'aziz) and then relates a particular episode in the life of the seventh Shi'i imam Musa b. Ja'far al-Kazim (d. 183/799). - Script: Indian ta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

-

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714533

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

18th-19th centuries, Framed calligraphic inscription called a Levha, In Arabic. Written in Nasta'liq script in a Shi'i milieu, most likely in India during the 18th-19th centuries. - 'Ali is described as the rightful Vice Regent of the Prophet Muhammad (i.e., Mustafa), a ruler of men and spirits, and a true manifestation of prophethood. This invocation to the son-in-law of the Prophet shows that the piece must have been produced in a Shi'i milieu, most likely in India during the 18th-19th centuries. The panel may have been included in an album of calligraphies or put on display on a wall. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 33.4 (w) x 21 (h) cm - This calligraphic panel is written in black nasta'liq on a brown surface and framed by two borders in plain green and blue decorated with gold stars. The inscription provides an invocation of 'Ali through his many epithets: - Wali imam al-ins wa al-jinnah haqqan al-Mustafa / The Sucessor of the Leader of Humankind and Spirits, the Mustafa in Reality - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Mir 'Imad al-Hasani

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714598

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

early 17th century, Letter exercises, siyah mashq or calligraphic practice sheet written in Persian cursive nasta'liq script by Iranian calligrapher, Mir 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615). Safavid era. - A number of other siyah mashq sheets are held in the Library of Congress. See in particular 1-84-154.44, 1-84-154.46, 1-85-154.88, 1-86-154.144, 1-87-154.45, and 1-87-154.142. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 17.6 (w) x 31.7 (h) cm - These kinds of sheets -- known as siyah mashq (literally, black practice) in Persian -- were entirely covered with writing as a means to practice calligraphy and conserve paper. As an established genre, practice sheets abided to certain rules of formal compositions, largely guided by rhythm and repetition (Safwat 1996, 32). In time, they became collectible items and thus were signed and dated. Many fragments such as this one were provided with a variety of decorative borders and pasted to sheets ornamented with plants or flowers painted in gold. - This calligraphic practice sheet includes a number of diagonal words and letters written in the common Persian cursive script nasta'liq. Letters are used in combinations, sometimes yielding fanciful agglutinates and other times real words, facing upwards and downwards on the folio. The script is executed in brown ink on a cream colored background, framed by a blue border and pasted onto a sheet decorated with interlacing vines and flowers. - This particular siyah mashq is signed in the corner by a famous Iranian master of nasta'liq script, Mir 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615). He has signed his name "'Imad" four times in a playful gesture emulating the repetitive nature of the practice sheet itself. Like this fragment, a number of siyah mashq sheets executed at the turn of the 17th century by 'Imad al-Hasani were preserved and provided with illumination by Muhammad Hadi ca. 1160-1172/1747-1759 (Akimushkin 1996: 65, 70, 87, and 91). This particular siyah mashq thus shows how a master of calligraphy practiced his craft during the Safavid period in Persia (Iran). - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Hafiz Nur Allah

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714628

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

18th century, Shi'i invocation to a ruler written in black Nasta'liq script by calligrapher Hafiz Nur Allah in India during the 18th century. - Ay shan-i Haydari za chabin-i tu ashkar / Nam-i tu dar nabard kunad kar-i dhu al-fiqar. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.6 (w) x 18.5 (h) cm - Oh Dignity of Haydar, it shows on your foreheard, / Your name is like Dhu al-Fiqar in battle. - The text is written in black nasta'liq on a beige paper framed by light brown border cut out and pasted to a larger sheet of paper backed by cardboard. In the outside margin, the calligrapher's name, Hafiz Nur Allah, seems to have been added subsequently. Nothing is known about this calligrapher, although the style and content of the calligraphic fragment suggests that it was executed in a Shi'i milieu in India during the 18th century. - The two verses compare a ruler to 'Ali, the "Lion of God" (Haydar Allah), and his triumphs similar to the imam's sword's ability to secure success in combat. - This calligraphic fragment provides a Shi'i praise to a ruler by comparing him to the heroic figure of 'Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, and his famous double-edged sword Dhu al-Fiqar ("Cleaver of the Spine"): - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

-

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714601

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

17th-18th centuries, A letter composed for a friend, in Persian written in shikastah-nasta'liq script with four bayts (verses) of a lyrical poem (ghazal) from Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" from 19th Cent Iran. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 5.8 (h) x 11.9 (w) cm - The text is written in small black shikastah-nasta'liq script on a piece of paper painted in light brown in such a manner that it looks like papyrus, bark, or bamboo. The text panel is pasted directly onto a purple sheet of paper backed by cardboard. Although the letter is neither signed nor dated, it appears to have executed in Persia (Iran) during the 17th-18th centuries. - This calligraphic fragment consists in a letter composed by a man to his friend. At the top, the letter is initiated by four bayts (verses) from a lyrical poem (ghazal) that advises men to be good and not engage in evil deeds (siyah kar). These lines are written in smaller script in diagonal and separated into four columns. The letter then proceeds horizontally. The correspondent apologizes for not having written in a long time. In the middle of his letter, he also includes verses from Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" that bear an eschatological character. They promote the fear of God and the Day of Judgment. - Script: shikastah-nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Hajji Yadigar al-Katib

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714670

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

ca. 1600-1650, Persian verses by the poet Jami (d. 898/1492), written in Nasta'liq script by calligrapher Hajji Yadigar al-Katib, active in 17th Cent Mughal India. - Basa ziba rukh-i niku shamayil / Ka suyash tab'-i mardum nist mayil / Basa luli vash-i shirin karashma / Ka rizad khun za dilha chasma chasma - Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.1 (w) x 18.9 (h) cm - How often there is a beautiful face with graceful ways / Who is not sought after by people / But how often a harlot with sweet winks / Causes the blood of hearts to pour out in gushes - In the lower right corner, the "lowly" (al-mudhnib) calligrapher Hajji Yadigar al-Katib has signed his work. As his name suggests, he must have completed the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) and been a professional scribe (katib). He may be synonymous with a certain Yadigar Khwajah Samarqandi, who arrived in India and offered the Mughal ruler Jahangir (r. 1606-27) an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies, for which he received a robe of honor (Huart 1972, 169). - The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper. Framed by cloud bands, the text appears on a background lavishly decorated with gold painted vegetal designs highlighted in light blue and red dots. These motifs appear to support a 17th-century Central Asian or Mughal provenance. - This calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by the famous Persian poet Jami (d. 898/1492). In the top right corner, the text begins with the attribution of the verses to the master (makhdumi) poet and a request for (God's) forgiveness (al-maghfarah) and mercy (al-rahmah) upon Jami. The verses then describe how often true beauty is overlooked: - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Mahmud b. Mawlana Khwajah

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714616

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

Verses by the Persian poet Jami (d. 897/1492) scribed by 16th Cent calligrapher Mahmud b. Mawlana Khwajah from Shaybanid Bukhara or Samarqand Central Asia. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 21.5 (h) cm - Every beautiful face that manifested itself to you / Quickly the heavens will remove it from your eyes / Go and give your heart to the person in the bounds of existence / Who has always been with you, and always will - Har surat-i dilkash ka tura ruy namud / Khwahad falakash zud za chasm-i tu rubud / Ru dil bi-kasi dah ka dar atvar-i vujud / Bud ast hamisha ba tu u khwahad bud - In the lowest panel appears the calligrapher's signature, which reads: mashaqahu al-'abd (written by the servant) Mahmud b. Mawlana Khwajah. Although very little is known about this calligrapher, the hues and decorative motifs of this fragment suggest that it was made in Central Asia (perhaps in Shaybanid Bukhara or Samarqand) during the 16th century. - Script: nasta'liq - The text is executed in black nasta'liq script on a blue piece of paper sprinkled with gold flecks. Every verse is framed by a gold line and separated by a gutter or border illuminated with panels in gold, pink, and orange hues. The whole of the text panel is pasted onto a larger orange sheet of paper backed by cardboard. - This calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by the Persian poet Jami (d. 897/1492), whose full name (Mawlana 'Abd al-Rahman Jami) is noted in the topmost panel. In larger script appears a lyric poem (ghazal), in which a lover sighs and complains about the lack of news from his beloved. The central text frames, bordered on the right and left by illuminated panels, contain an iambic pentameter quatrain (ruba'i) written in smaller script.

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Abd al-Bari al-Husayni

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714522

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

18th-19th centuries, Shi'i poetry in Persian in praise of the Prophet's son-in-law, 'Ali. In Nasta'liq script produced in India. - Ay talib, sirr-i haqq za asma' bitalab / Az ism natija-yi musammah bitalab / Bar dhat-i 'Ali ism-i mu'allah bar khwan / Vaz ism-i 'Ali fayz-i mu'allah bitalab - Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.8 (w) x 19.8 (h) cm - For a further discussion of God's "Beautiful Names" and the difference between a name (al-ism) and what is named (al-musammah), see al-Ghazali (d. 1111), "The Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God", trans. David Burrell and Nazih Daher (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1995). - Oh seeker, search for the secret of Truth (God) from (His) Names / From the Name, search the epitome of What is Named / From the essence of 'Ali recite the name of the Exalted One / And from the name of 'Ali search the favor of the Lofty One - The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script framed by delicate cloud bands on a beige paper. The text (most likely an invocation to God) in the upper right corner has been lost, while the lower left corner contains the signature of the calligrapher 'Abd al-Bari al-Husayni, who asks for forgiveness of his sins from God. 'Abd al-Bari al-Husayni may have been a calligrapher in nasta'liq script in 19th-century India. The purple frame decorated with gold leafs and the brown sheet of paper backed by cardboard onto which the text panel has been pasted suggest an Indian provenance. - These verses draw on the symbolic dichotomy between the name (al-ism) and the named (al-musammah) and between essence (dhat) and manifestation (zuhur) found in discussions about God and His Beautiful Names (al-asma' al-husna). The verses transform the theological theme into Persian poetry, while promoting a Shi'i understanding of God (the Goal) through 'Ali (the means). - This calligraphic fragment includes four lines of Shi'i poetry encouraging the seeker (talib) to derive spiritual knowledge of God by means of understanding the Prophet's son-in-law, 'Ali. The verses read: - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Mir Muhammad Salih

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714546

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

1225/1810, Persian Nowruz poem, or an iambic pentameter quatrain (ruba'i), by calligrapher Mir Muhammad Salih, writen in black (Indian) Naskh script on 1810 CE. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.2 (w) x 15.3 (h) cm - 'Id ast may-ya nishat dar jam-i tu bad / Julangah-i mah-i 'id bar bam-i tu bad / Har khal'at-i iqbal ka duzad gardun / Ay kan-i karam rast bar andam-i tu bad - It is 'id, may the wine of joy be in your glass / May the circus of the moon of 'id be on your roof / Every robe of fortune that the firmament sewed / Oh, Generous Mineral, may it fit you properly! - The text is executed in black (Indian) naskh script on a beige sheet of paper framed in a blue border decorated with gold leaf and vine motifs. Before the quatrain begins, a short invocation of God reading "He is the Forgiving " ( huwa al-ghafur), appears in the upper right corner. Then follows the quatrain, which reads: - This calligraphic panel includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, signed by the calligrapher Mir Muhammad Salih. He has signed and dated his work in the lower left corner with the note "raqamahu Mir Muhammad Salih, 1225" (written by Mir Muhammad Salih, 1225/1810). Although little is known about the calligrapher, the date proves that this work dates from the early 19th century. - This poem wishes a ruler (nicknamed a "Generous Mineral," or kan-i karam) fortune and happiness on the occasion of 'id. This may well be the festival ('id) of New Year (noruz) that is, the Spring equinox (March 21st) marking the beginning of the solar calendar as celebrated in Iran and parts of India. It appears that this calligraphic panel was executed on such an occasion to celebrate the New Year and to wish a patron prosperity for the years to come. This practice of offering good wishes in written form during New Year's celebrations is attested to in a number of other calligraphic specimens in the Library of Congress (see 1-04-713.19.48, 1-04-713.19.49, and 1-84-154.51). - Script: naskh

Nomi:

Muallifi:

-

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714534

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

17th century, Ghazals (Odes) by Sa'di, love poetry in Persian, written in the Shikastah-Nasta'liq script by calligrapher, 'Abd al-Majid from 17th Cent. in Isfahan, Iran. - A number of works signed by 'Abd al-Majid in Iranian collections bear similarities to the fragment in the Library of Congress. These typically are executed in black shikastah or shikastah- nasta'liq and are framed by gold cloud bands (see Tavoosi 1987: 35, 37, 63, 123, 151, 181, and 183). - Dimensions of Written Surface: 4.9 (w) x 10.9 (h) cm - In the lower center of the text panel (that is, at the bottom of the central gutter) appears the calligrapher's signature. It reads: "written by the servant 'Abd al-Majid" (mashaqahu al-'abd 'Abd al-Majid). A note on the fragment's verso, not visible in this image, also states: "'Abd al-Majid, the inventor of shikasta, 17th century." - The text is executed in black shikastah script and is surrounded by cloud band motifs on a background covered with gold leaf. The central gutter separating the main text panel into two columns is decorated with interlacing blue flower and vine motifs. The text panel is provided with several decorative frames and is pasted onto a blue paper ornamented with gold painted interlacing floral vines. - This calligraphic fragment includes a number of lyrical verses, or ghazals, composed by Shaykh Sa'di (d. 691/1292). Many of these verses express the pain at separation from a friend and exhort faithfulness to one's companions. Sa'di's name appears in one of the verses at the very bottom of the right column. - This is certainly Darvish 'Abd al-Majid al-Taliqani (d. 1185/1674-5), who resided in Isfahan, the capital city of Persia (Iran) during the 17th century. He was a master calligrapher in nasta'liq and is credited with the invention of shikastah, a very fluid and literally "broken" script derivative of nasta'liq. He was a poet in his own right and signed his poems with the pen-name (takhallus) "The Extinguished One," or Khamush (Tavoosi 1987, 34). - Script: shikastah-nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

Muhammad Valikhan Khattat

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714699

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

1260/1844, Moral lessons through bird stories written in the Shikastah-Nasta'liq by the calligrapher Muhammad Valikhan Khattat, Qajar era. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 18 (w) x 9 (h) cm - These moralizing verses are written both vertically and horizontally in black shikastah-nasta'liq script on a white piece of paper. The verses are divided by red lines. The text panel is pasted to a green piece of paper backed by cardboard and framed by a border heavily damaged by worm holes. In the lower right corner of the text panel, the calligrapher Muhammad Valikhan Khattat ("the calligrapher"), known as Chalaq ("the Speedy One"), has signed his work. He also notes that it was completed in 1260/1844. From this information, one may hypothesize that this certain Muhammad Valikhan Khattat was a swift writer active in Iran during the mid-19th century. - This calligraphic fragment includes verses providing two separate stories whose protagonists are birds. The first narrative describes two falcons in the desert talking about whether to join the king. The smart one refuses because he notes that freedom is better than service, even to a royal patron. The second story describes a hunter about to shoot a small bird. The latter prays to God to save it, at which time the hunter begins to tremble and his arrow misses the bird. Through God's intercession, the prey is saved from an untimely death. - Script: shikastah-nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

-

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714497

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

1550-1600, Colophon of "Makhzan al-Asrar"; title page of "Khusraw va Shirin" from the Nizami's Khamsah, Shirazi style Safavid Persian illuminated manuscript in Nasta'liq script. - Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto:12.1 (w) x 14.9 (h) cm. Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 12 9 (w) x 21 (h) cm - Nine other folios from the same manuscript --mostly initial and terminal folios of the various books (kitab) from the "Khamsah", as well as one painting from the story of Laylah wa Majnun -- are held in the Library of Congress as well. These bear the same nasta'liq script at 20 lines in 4 columns/page within a similar written surface size of c. 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm. The folios are: 1-85-154.1a R & V, 1-85-154.1b R & V, 1-85-154.2a R, 1-85-154.2b R & V, and 1-86-154.123 R (painting) & V. - The "Makhzan al-Asrar" is a didactic-philosophical work and does not consist of epic or romantic tales like those in the following four books of the "Khamsah". It includes a number of stories about kings and rulers, with several moral lessons to be learned. - The final lines of the "Makhzan al-Asrar" on this folio are executed in a carpet-page format, i.e. in alternating horizontal and diagonal lines with illuminated decoration in the remnant triangular or rectangular spaces. At the very bottom of the folio appears the work's colophon, which states that the book "Makhzan al-Asrar" was finished thanks to the grace of God. Unfortunately, the colophon gives neither the date of the book's completion nor the name of the calligrapher. - The illuminated title page here includes the book's heading written in white ink, which reads: "Kitab-i Khusraw va Shirin, Shaykh Nizami." The title appears on a gold background decorated with red and blue flowers. All around the title panel and the written surface appear bands of illuminated decoration on either a gold or blue background. On the back of this folio appear the last lines of the previous book, i.e. "Makhzan al-Asrar" (The Treasury of Secrets), whose colophon unfortunately does not specify the place or date of completion (see 1-84-154.2a R). - The illumination, text layout, and nasta'liq script are typical of manuscripts made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the sixteenth century. Many Safavid Persian manuscripts at this time were produced for the domestic market and international export, rather than by royal commission. - The story of "Khusraw va Shirin" narrates the love relationship of the last great Sasanian ruler, Khusraw Parviz (590-628 A.D.) and his beautiful mistress Shirin. Many of the episodes in this story revolve around the complications caused by the king's ruses and his mistress' strength and faithfulness. Exceptionally understanding of women's personalities, there is no doubt that the character of Shirin was based on Nizami's own wife (for the story of "Khusraw va Shirin", see P. Chelkowski et al, "Mirror of the Invisible World: Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami" [New York, 1975]: 21-48). - This folio contains the illuminated title page of the second book of Nizami's "Khamsah" (Quintet), entitled "Khusraw va Shirin", and the colophon of the preceding work, "Makhzan al-Asrar" (The Treasury of Secrets). Written during the last few decades of the 12th century A.D., the "Khamsah" consists of five books (kitab) written in rhyming distichs (mathnavi). Along with Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" (Book of Kings), the "Khamsah" stands out as one of the great monuments of medieval Persian poetry. Both works were oftentimes produced in manuscript form and provided with attendant paintings. - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

-

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714573

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

17th century, Mughal style decorative borders with verses composed by the famous Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9). Written Nasta'liq script in the 17th Cent. - Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11.4 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm. Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 13 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm - Hafiz warns of the transience and fickleness of this world (literally, an old hag or 'ajuza), and argues that those who imbibe the last dregs or essence (durd) of wine have the spiritual understanding of what is true and permanent. - I give you advice: learn it and do it / Because I remember that this (advice) came from the leader of my spiritual order. / Don't expect this unsteady world to be faithful / Because this old hag was a bride to a thousand husbands. / Go, devout one, and do not reprimand the drinkers. - Nasihati kunamat yadgir u dar 'amal an / Kain hadis za pir-i tariqatam yad ast / Maju durusti-yi 'ahd az jahan sust nahad / Kain 'ajuza 'arus-i hazar damad ast / Buru malamat-i durdi kashan makun zahid - The five verses written horizontally on the illuminated panel read: - The recto of this calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by the famous Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9), as well as a number of other verses framed in rectangular bands along the inner border of the central panel. Every line of calligraphy is cut out and pasted individually onto the fragment's illuminated background. The verses are framed by white and blue borders decorated with gold flower and leaf motifs, and pasted onto an orange paper painted in gold and provided with ornamental medallions containing pink and white flowers. This fragment's decoration, much like the pattern on the fragment's verso (1-88-154.41 V), is typical of Mughal book arts of the 17th century. - The verso of this fragment has a decorative border similar to the recto; however, the verso is devoid of text. The illuminated frame is pasted to a paper decorated with yellow flowers perhaps intended to represent blooming saffron flowers (although the petals of saffron flowers tend to be of a light purple color). This pattern of yellow-orange flowers appears on an otherwise unrelated calligraphic fragment in the Library of Congress (see 1-04-713.19.26), suggesting that both works may have originated from the same atelier. The latter work, the first page of a copy of Sa'di's Bustan, is believed to have been made in India during the 17th century. - Script: nasta'liq

Nomi:

Muallifi:

-

Turi:

Qo'lyozma

Davlati:

Amerika Qoʻshma Shtatlari

Inventor raqami:

2019714669

Hujjat yuklab olingan manba:

Library of Congress

Saqlanish joyi:

Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Annotatsiya:

16th century, From Jami's "Nafahat al-Uns" (Lives of the Saints), manuscript pages written in Persian Nasta'liq script from the Shaybanid court of Central Asia. - Dimensions of Written Surface: 7.2 (w) x 13.1 (h) cm - The Persian verses are written in black nasta'liq script in two columns on a beige paper. Verses are divided by a plain central gutter marked off by two gold vertical lines. An illuminated chapter heading towards the bottom of the text panel includes the section title about Sari Saqati written in white ink on a gold background. - The text panel is framed and pasted onto a larger sheet of paper decorated with flower and leaf motifs on a blue ground achieved through the use of a pounce. This kind of marginal decoration is found in a number of 16th-century manuscripts produced under Shaybanid patronage in Bukhara (in modern-day Uzbekistan) from ca. 1500-1550 (Gray 1979: 248-272). Other manuscripts, such as a copy of Bitikji's "Athar-i Muzaffar" made in 975/1568 (Topkapi Palace Library H. 1233), also makes use of pounced motifs as marginal decoration. For these reasons, it is possible to suggest that this manuscript was produced in Central Asia during the 16th century. - This calligraphic fragment includes a section from Jami's (d. 897/1492) hagiographical work entitled "Nafahat al-Uns" (Lives of the Saints), in which the lives of a number of Sufi saints are described. In this particular folio and its verso (1-88-154.119 V), Jami describes an event in the life of the Sufi shaykh Sari Saqati (d. 867). He was the teacher and maternal uncle of the famous mystic Junayd of Baghdad (d. 910) and composed many sayings on mystical unity (tawhid), love of God, and other spiritual matters. The biography is continued on the verso of this folio. - Script: nasta'liq