Lot 222
  • 222

Munajat of Khawaja 'Abdullah Ansari (d.1088 AD), signed by 'Imad Al-Hasani, Persia, Safavid, dated 994 AH/1585 AD

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • ink on paper
Persian manuscript on gold-sprinkled paper, 7 leaves plus 4 flyleaves, 8 lines to the page written in fine and elegant nasta'liq script in black ink, text separated by gold dots, margins ruled with a thick gold band, outer margins decorated with scenes of wildlife and foliage in gold, opening folio with illuminated headpiece decorated with scrolling flowers on blue and punched gold grounds, within strapwork borders, illuminated colophon, brown morocco binding with gilt-stamped central medallions decorated with rosettes and roundels within gilt borders

Catalogue Note

The most famous nasta'liq calligrapher of Safavid period, Imad Al-Hasan was murdered on the accusation of being a Sunni.  His recorded works are dated between 972 AH/1564-5 AD and 1024 AH/1615-16 AD.

This manuscript is not recorded either by Bayani or Karimzadeh.
For his biography, see, Karimzadeh Tabrizi, The Life and Art of Mir Imad al-Hasani, London, 2001, Mehdi Bayani, ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. I, Tehran, 1345 sh., pp.518-38 and N. Safwat, The Art of the Pen, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol.V, London, 1996, pp.34, 109 and 130.