Two panels of calligraphy by Abd al-Rahim al-Najafi, dated A.H. 1130/A.D. 1717 and Wasafi, Persia

Persian manuscript on paper, the larger panel with 15 lines to the page written horizontally and diagonally in naski and nasta'liq scripts in black, red and blue ink within cloudbands against a gold ground, margins ruled in colours and gold, the smaller panel with 5 lines to the page in horizontal and diagonal black naskhi script on buff paper flecked with gold, laid down on an album page ruled in red, black and gold

In good overall condition, the larger panel with some horizontal creasing where it has been folded, the lower section calligraphy slightly faded and with a few stains, the smaller panel with a few small stains, ink strong, as viewed.
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inscriptions

1) A calligraphic page in thuluth, naskh and riqa' copied by 'Abd al-Rahim al-Najafi in A.H. 1130 (A.D. 1717-18).

The only other recorded work by him is a prayer book dated 1134 (A.D. 1721-2) (Mehdi Bayani, ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. 4, Teheran, 1358 sh., p, 91).

2) A calligraphic panel copied for a royal patron by Wasafi including numerous styles of writing. Gebecizade Mehmet Vasfi Efendi was a calligrapher and calligraphic tutor to Mahmud II (1784-1839).

Mehmed Vasfi was a teacher in the Palace's school and widely known by the cognomen Gebecizade. The date of his birth is uncertain, but he is known to have learned the art of calligraphy from Ebubekir Rasid Effendi and to have received his icazet in 1767. He was a teacher of calligraphy to Mahmud II, a very prolific calligrapher, writing twenty copies of the Qur'an, a large number of Delails and En'ams, over two hundred Hilyes and a large number of Murakkas and Kit'as. He had a great many pupils, including a number of outstanding calligraphers such as Ata Effendi, Mustafa Effendi, Vasif Effendi and Eyyubi Mehmed Rasid Effendi.
He died in 1815 and is buried in the graveyard of the Mercan Mosque.