Arts of the Islamic World and India, including Fine Rugs and Carpets
Arts of the Islamic World and India, including Fine Rugs and Carpets
Two calligraphic album pages, one signed by Mir 'Ali, Persia, Safavid, first half 16th century
Auction Closed
April 26, 01:36 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Persian manuscript on paper, 4 lines to the page written in nasta'liq in black ink on a ground of finely illuminated flowers and pomegranates, each with triangular panels of gold and polychrome illumination, one panel signed lower left, within gold-speckled blue borders and cream margins illuminated with simurghs and arabesques
text panel: 16.8 by 9.2cm.
leaf 24.1 by 12.6cm.
Christie's, London, 31 March 2009, lot 37.
inscriptions
The page signed by Mir 'Ali: a couplet from ‘Attar’s Mantiq al-Tayr
The unsigned page: a couplet from Jami’s Yusuf wa Zulaykha
Mir ‘Ali al-Harawi’s name is synonymous with the greatest achievements in Persian calligraphy. He was born in Herat and learned his art under the tutelage of Zayn al-Din Mahmud and Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi. Under the supervision of Sultan ‘Ali Mashhadi, Mir ‘Ali reached his full potential and in the early seventeenth century Qadi Ahmad admired the development of the scribe, stating “He brought the art of the large and small (script), and the writing of samples (qit'a) and inscriptions to the utmost degree (of perfection) and set it on so high a vault that the hand of no calligrapher can reach it” (Minorsky 1959, p.126).
As a skilled calligrapher, Mir ‘Ali eventually worked at the court of the Timurid Sultan Husayn Mirza. However, upon the capture of Herat by the Uzbeks in 1528-29, like many other artists, he was forced into exile in Bukhara, where he served Prince ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Khan and worked in the Royal Library (Bayani 1348/1969, pp.126-131).
He was a prolific calligrapher and by the early seventeenth century his works were widespread (Minorsky 1969, p.131). The Safavid Prince Bahram Mirza and the Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan were particularly fond of the artist’s work and his calligraphy formed the basis of a number of albums including the magnificent Kevorkian ‘Emperor’s’ album made for Jahangir and Shah Jahan, now held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (acc.no.55.121.10.40, Welch et.al. 1987, p.32). An album page by the scribe was recently sold at Christie’s, London, 31 March 2022, lot 11.