SAMPLE OF CALLIGRAPHY SIGNED BY AL-FAQIR 'ALI - Aga Khan Museum
Aga Khan Development Network
 
The Aga Khan Museum: Arts of the Book: Illustrated Texts, Miniatures - Safavid and Mughal, 16th-17th century CE  Place your mouse over the image
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Classification
Arts of the Book: Illustrated Texts, Miniatures

Object name
Sample Of Calligraphy Signed By Al-Faqir 'Ali

Geography
India and Iran

Period
Safavid and Mughal, 16th-17th century CE

Dynasty
Safavid and Mughal

Materials and technique
Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper

Dimensions
Page 37.9 x 25.6 cm; Text 18.3 x 10.1 cm

Accession number
AKM00255

Description

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed a growing interest in art and the art of collecting in the three “gunpowder” empires, beginning with the Safavids in Iran and followed by the Ottomans and Mughals. Not only did more artists exhibit a hitherto rare sense of self-awareness by increasingly signing their works, but the royal and wealthy patrons who compiled or commissioned the albums had the chance to express their own taste and connoisseurship through their collecting. These extraordinary codices were filled with specimens of calligraphy, painting and drawing, including single-page, finished compositions as well as elements of illustrated manuscripts and calligraphy exercises. Artists’ and calligraphers’ works were recognized within the albums for their individual talents and styles - sometimes by glosses added by the patron himself. This album folio contains writing by one of the greatest masters of the nasta'liq script, Mir 'Ali (d. circa 1544 CE), who served in Herat and Bukhara at the Timurid, Uzbek, and Safavid courts and was extolled by Qadi Ahmad in his sixteenth-century treatise on calligraphers and painters (Qadi Ahmad in Minorsky 1959, p. 131). The calligraphic text has been pasted onto an album page with borders depicting flora and fauna, here including seated deer, kingfishers, parrots, and other birds. It is possible the Mughals admired Mir 'Ali not only for his talent but also because of the praise he gave to Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, in one of his poems (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 220).

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115 pieces found

FOLIO-FROM-THE-KHAWASS-ALASHJAR-DE-MATERIA-MEDICA-RASIYUN--PLANTFOLIO-FROM-THE-KHAWASS-ALASHJAR-DE-MATERIA-MEDICA-AMADUN--OR--NARDIN--PLANTFOLIO-FROM-THE-KHAWASS-ALASHJAR-DE-MATERIA-MEDICA-HASHISHA--ALHAMAMA-THE-HERB-BUGLOSS-OR-OXTONGUEFOLIO-FROM-THE-KHAWASS-ALASHJAR-DE-MATERIA-MEDICA-LABATHUN--PLANTFolio-from-the-Khawass-alAshjar-de-Materia-Medica-The-Poppy-Folio-from-a-manuscript-of-Kitab-fi-marifat-alhiyal-alhindasiyya-by-alJazari-A-bloodletting-deviceFRONTISPIECE-FROM-A-MANUSCRIPT-OF-THE-SULWAN-ALMUTA-OF-IBN-ZAFAR-THREE-YOUNG-HUNTERSFolio-From-The-Khamsa-of-Amir-Khusraw-Dihlavi-Shabi-Qadr-The-Night-Of-PowerMANUSCRIPT-OF-THE-MATHNAVI-OF-JALAL-ALDIN-RUMIYOUTH-AND-DERVISH-IN-CONVERSATIONSHEPHERDS-IN-A-LANDSCAPEMANUSCRIPT-OF-THE-KHAMSA-OF-NIZAMIMURAQQA-ALBUM-OF-PORTRAITS-AND-CALLIGRAPHIESMANUSCRIPT-OF-THE-JUDGEMENTS-OF-THE-GREEK-PHILOSOPHERS-SOCRATES-AND-ARISTOPHANESMANUSCRIPT-OF-ALKASHIFIS-ANVARI-SUHAYLI-LIGHTS-OF-CANOPUSSAMPLE-OF-CALLIGRAPHY-FROM-AN-ALBUM-MADE-FOR-SHAH-JAHANLANDSCAPE-WITH-VILLAGERS-TRAVELLERS-AND-ANIMALSPALACE-AT-DELHITalismanic-chartFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Tahmasp-Salm-and-Tur-receive-the-reply-of-Faridun-and-ManuchihrFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Tahmasp-Sindukht-brings-gifts-to-the-Court-of-SamFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Tahmasp-The-first-joust-of-the-champions-Fariburz-and-KalbadFATH-ALI-SHAH-SEATED-ON-A-THRONE-DECORATED-WITH-PRECIOUS-STONESMANUSCRIPT-OF-THE-GUY-U-CHAWGAN-OR-HALNAMA-BOOK-OF-ECSTASY-OF-ARIFIZoomorphic-calligraphyMASJID-ALHARAMCALLIGRAPHY-BY-ISMAIL-JALAYIRA-GATHERING-OF-DERVISHESThe-crucifixion-with-the-Virgin-and-St-JohnA-PRINCE-VISITS-A-HERMITPORTRAIT-OF-SHAH-JAHAN-AND-HIS-THREE-SONSEMPEROR-JAHANGIR-AT-THE-JHAROKA-WINDOW-OF-THE-AGRA-FORTSAMPLE-OF-CALLIGRAPHY-FROM-AN-ALBUM-MADE-FOR-SHAH-JAHANPICTORIAL-GENEALOGY-OF-THE-DESCENDANTS-OF-JAHANGIRFOLIO-FROM-THE-SHAHNAMA-OF-SHAH-TAHMASP-FIRDAWSI-AND-THE-THREE-COURT-POETS-OF-GHAZNAFOLIO-FROM-THE-SHAHNAMA-OF-SHAH-TAHMASP-GUSHTASP-SLAYS-A-DRAGON-ON-MOUNT-SAQILAA-SEASERPENT-SWALLOWS-THE-ROYAL-FLEETASCETICS-IN-A-LANDSCAPEHUMAYUN-DEFEATS-HIS-REBELLIOUS-BROTHER-KAMRAN-AT-KABULPORTRAITS-OF-JAHANGIR-AND-SHAH-JAHANPORTRAIT-OF-AN-OTTOMAN-WITH-A-BOOKGroup-of-sages-in-discussionKAUSA-RAGAPUTRA-MUSIC-FOR-AFTER-MIDNIGHTMANUSCRIPT-OF-THE-DALAIL-ALKHAYRAT-THE-WAYS-OF-EDIFICATION-OF-ALJAZULIAN-OTTOMAN-OFFICIALPORTRAIT-OF-SULTAN-SELIM-IIPORTRAIT-OF-SULTAM-SELIM-IIISAMPLE-OF-CALLIGRAPHY-BY-PRINCE-DARA-SHIKUHPilgrimage-certificateMANUSCRIPT-OF-THE-DALAIL-ALKHAYRAT-THE-WAYS-OF-EDIFICATION-OF-ALJAZULIA-prince-and-a-hermitA-young-prince-with-mysticsA-dervish-in-a-landscapeManuscript-of-the-Tadhkira-of-Shaykh-Safi-alDinSages-in-religious-discussionA-composite-elephant-and-riderShah-Abbas-II-and-the-Mughal-AmbassadorIsa-Khan-Qurchibashi-of-Shah-Abbas-IShah-Safi-alDin-at-a-picnic-with-ambassadorsDouble-album-page-Portrait-of-Fath-Ali-Shah-and-calligraphic-exercisePortrait-of-Akbar-in-old-ageThe-Delhi-Darbar-of-Akbar-Shah-IIFolio-from-the-Akhlaqi-Nasiri-of-Nasir-alDin-Tusi-School-courtyard-with-boys-reading-and-writingSAMPLE-OF-CALLIGRAPHY-BY-SHAH-MAHMUD-NISHAPURIA-drowsy-courtier-reading-by-candlelightFolio-from-the-Manafi-alHayawan-of-Ibn-Bukhtishu-The-shiqraq-or-Green-MagpieFolio-from-the-Suwar-alkawakib-althabita-The-constellations-Andromeda-and-piscesA-dragon-in-a-landscapeA-hunting-sceneYoung-hunter-with-a-falconFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Tahmasp-Rustam-pursues-the-Div-Akvan-disguised-as-an-onagerJahangirs-Lion-HuntLovers-in-the-storm-with-DivsPrince-Dara-Shikuh-and-his-mistress-on-a-terrace-at-nightMusician-playing-a-tarA-musical-gatheringNata-RagaThe-architect-Numan-is-thrown-from-a-fortressFolio-from-a-Shahnama-Bahram-Gur-goes-huntingFolio-from-a-Shahnama-The-arrival-of-Zahhak-and-the-end-of-Jamshids-ruleFolio-from-a-Shahnama-Bijan-takes-the-rein-to-aid-GustahamBaburs-men-pursuing-the-inhabitants-of-Bilah-across-the-River-IndusIlluminated-album-page-with-Sura-alFatihaIlluminated-album-page-with-Sura-alFatihaAn-aged-pilgrimDouble-finispiece-from-the-Diwan-of-Sultan-Ibrahim-MirzaCranes-and-DucksElephants-by-the-riverCongregation-of-birdsShah-Abbas-I-of-Iran-attended-by-a-pageAkbar-and-a-DervishBearded-man-reading-outdoorsManuscript-of-the-Tashrih-MansuriThe-Constellations-Virgo-Libra-Scorpio-and-LeoManuscript-of-the-Taqwim-alsihha-of-Ibn-ButlanFolio-from-a-manuscript-of-the-Kalila-wa-Dimna-The-fable-of-the-lion-the-fox-and-the-donkeyFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Ismail-Isfandiyar-kills-the-simurghFolio-from-a-Shahnama-Bahram-Gur-kills-the-UnicornYoung-man-carried-off-by-a-giant-birdShirin-praying-and-Khusrau-huntingLovers-in-a-landscapeThe-Naim-alDin-ShahnamaPortrait-of-the-poet-HatifiA-youth-playing-a-stringed-instrumentFolio-from-a-Shahnama-Bahram-Gur-kills-two-lions-to-prove-his-right-to-the-throne-of-IranMansucript-of-the-Kulliyat-of-SadiThe-Ottoman-army-marching-on-the-city-of-Tunis-in-1569-CEPortrait-of-the-Nawab-Mirza-Muhammad-Baqir-and-his-young-son-Mirza-HusaynFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Tahmasp-The-story-of-Haftvad-and-the-wormFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Tahmasp-The-death-of-ZahhakFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Tahmasp-The-court-of-GayumarsFolio-from-the-Shahnama-of-Shah-Ismail-Rustam-slays-the-Turanian-warrior-AlkusFolio-from-a-Shahnama-Kai-Khusrau-surveys-his-forcesFolio-from-a-Shahnama-Shah-Kay-Kavus-attempts-to-fly-to-heavenFolio-from-the-Small-Shahnama-Shah-Shapur-besieges-the-fortress-of-the-Arabian-chieftain-Tair-in-Yemen