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Lot Essay
Inscription: The calligraphy includes verses from the Bustan of Sa'di. Around the edges are verses from a ghazal of Hafiz.
'Abd al-Rahim, known as Anbarin Qalam or 'Musk Pen' originally came from Herat, but later joined Jahangir's court, as one of his great master calligraphers. Amongst his album pages are fifteen collected for an album made for Shah Jahan (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan, Vol. II, Tehran 1346 sh., pp. 389-91).
It seems he came from a talented family since his grandfather is mentioned in a note by Shah Jahan as the likely calligrapher of a Diwan in his royal library. 'Abd al-Rahim was granted the title, Anbarin Qalam (musk pen), by Jahangir who so admired him that he commissioned Anbarin Qalam's portrait to be added to a copy of Nizami's Khamsa mentioned above finished by the calligrapher in 1595 AD (British Library, Or. ms. 12208). Among his album pages are 15 collected for an album made for Shah Jahan, which were signed faqir 'abd al-rahim 'anbarin qalam sana 1030 (Bayani, op.cit. p.389-391). For further reading on this calligrapher see T. Falk (ed.), Treasues of Islam, exhibition catalogue, Geneva 1985, p.170, no.150; and A Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York 1992, pp. 120, 339.
Two folios from the same album sold at Sotheby's as part of the Berkeley Trust sale, 12 October 2004, lots 4 and 5. A further folio from this same album sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2011, lot 261.
'Abd al-Rahim, known as Anbarin Qalam or 'Musk Pen' originally came from Herat, but later joined Jahangir's court, as one of his great master calligraphers. Amongst his album pages are fifteen collected for an album made for Shah Jahan (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan, Vol. II, Tehran 1346 sh., pp. 389-91).
It seems he came from a talented family since his grandfather is mentioned in a note by Shah Jahan as the likely calligrapher of a Diwan in his royal library. 'Abd al-Rahim was granted the title, Anbarin Qalam (musk pen), by Jahangir who so admired him that he commissioned Anbarin Qalam's portrait to be added to a copy of Nizami's Khamsa mentioned above finished by the calligrapher in 1595 AD (British Library, Or. ms. 12208). Among his album pages are 15 collected for an album made for Shah Jahan, which were signed faqir 'abd al-rahim 'anbarin qalam sana 1030 (Bayani, op.cit. p.389-391). For further reading on this calligrapher see T. Falk (ed.), Treasues of Islam, exhibition catalogue, Geneva 1985, p.170, no.150; and A Soudavar, Art of the Persian Courts, New York 1992, pp. 120, 339.
Two folios from the same album sold at Sotheby's as part of the Berkeley Trust sale, 12 October 2004, lots 4 and 5. A further folio from this same album sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2011, lot 261.