Details
Album of calligraphic exercises
Persia, before AH 1107/1695-6 AD
manuscript on gold sprinkled ivory paper, 13ff., each with two lines of elegant black nasta'liq, eight with small drawings of figures within the text, green and gold margins between black rules, blue outer rule, (occasional light water-marking), opening folio with illuminated heading, final folio with added signature of Mir 'Ali and the date AH 957/1550-1 AD, on buff leaves painted in gold with scrolling vine, Safavid bronze lacquer binding with central panel painted with scrolling palmette sprays and birds, meandering vine borders between gold rules (extended at sides), dark brown morocco doublures with lighter medallion and spandrels
leaf 6¾ x 4in. (17.9 x 10.1cm.)
calligraphy 4½ x 1¾in. (11.4 x 4.5cm.)
