BY HABIBULLAH IBN 'ABDULLAH QAJAR, AH 7 RABI' II 1311 18 OCTOBER 1893 AD

Details

AN ALBUM OF CALLIGRAPHY ENDORSED BY NASIR AL-DIN SHAH QAJAR
By Habibullah ibn 'Abdullah Qajar, AH 7 Rabi' II 1311 18 October 1893 AD
Persian manuscript on pale blue paper, 22ff., the main part of the manuscript with 9ll. of black nasta'liq within gold clouds, the margins illuminated with fine gold floral sprays, the opening folio with a single leaf of calligraphy by Nasir al-Din Shah within gold and polychrome floral clouds, facing folio with a photograph of Nasir al-Din Shah, final folio with a photograph of Muhammad Hasan Khan, facing folio with a note by the scribe's father, mounted on cream card and bound in an album with black morocco binding with gold tooled decoration, matching black morocco slip case
Folio 6¾ x 3¾in. (17 x 9.5cm.); album 13 x 7 7/8in. (32.8 x 20cm.)

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Lot Essay

This album of very fine calligraphy has a long colophon in which the scribe Habibullah gives his genealogy up to six generations He says that since his father 'Abdullah Khan Kashikchi-Bashi had encouraged him from childhood to study various subjects, and that as calligraphy is the only way he can show his achievement in a visible manner, he has made this album. The father in his turn has made a note beneath praising his son's achievement.
The note by Nasir al-Din Shah at the beginning praises the hand of the calligrapher and is dated 1311/1893.

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