MUFRADAT

SIGNED ZUHDI, OTTOMAN TURKEY, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Details

MUFRADAT
SIGNED ZUHDI, OTTOMAN TURKEY, LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Calligraphic exercise on the letters of the alphabet, manuscript on gold-sprinkled paper, 4 panels concertina bound laid down on green gold-sprinkled card and concertina bound, each panel with 2 lines of black naskh script within black and gold ruled cartouches, a line of larger thuluth script above and below, with illuminated rosettes in cartouches at either side, signed Zuhdi to the left of the last line
Composition 20 x 9 3/8in. (51.5 x 23.7cm.)

Lot Essay

It is not clear if this panel is by Isma'il Zuhdi the Elder (d. 1731 AD) or any other scribe called Zuhdi. Also known as Isma'il the Elder, was born in Istanbul and practised calligraphy with Seyyid 'Abdullah of Yedikule (d. 1731 AD) and Anbarizade Dervish 'Ali (d. 1715). He got his ijaza (calligrapher's diploma) from Suyolcu-zade Mehmed Necib Efendi (d. 1757 AD), the author of the Dawhat al-kuttab. Mustaqim-zade, the author of Tuhfe-i hattatin ('The Biographies of Calligraphers'), notes that the famous Hoca Mehmed Rasim Efendi was present at this diploma ceremony. Isma'il Zuhdi the Elder was celebrated for his fine naskh and thuluth scripts. He died in 1731 and was buried in Uskudar, Istanbul (Sevket Rado, Turk Hattatlari (Turkish Calligraphers), Istanbul 1980, pp. 135-36).

More from Islamic & Indian Manuscripts & Works on Paper

View All