Calligraphic excercise

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Calligraphic excercise
by 'Abd al-Rahim Anbarin Qalam for Shah Jahan
Mughal India, AH 1030/1620-21

4ll. of very elegant black nasta'liq written diagonally in plain clouds on a gold ground painted with polychrome floral sprays, dated in minute black script in the months of 1030, signed in larger nasta'liq within a triangular panel within white and black margins below by Anbarin Qalam, a similar triangular panel above containing the dedication to Shah Jahan in smaller nasta'liq, another panel in the text stating that it was written in the Dar al-Sultaneh (the royal atelier), Agra, the whole bordered by rectangular panels of similar script divided by illuminated squares, blue and beige borders painted with gold meandering vine between black, white and orange rules, plain gold outer border, (negligible spotting), on buff leaf finely painted with polychrome flowers outlined in gold, (slight wear, one area of scuffing and smudging)
calligraphy 10 x 6½in. (25.5 x 17cm.)
leaf 15¼ x 10in. (38.7 x 25.1cm.)

Lot Essay

'Abd al-Rahim al-Haravi came originally from Herat and was one of the great master calligraphers at the Mughal court of Jahangir. It seems he came from a talented family since his grandfather is mentioned in a note by Shah Jehan as the likely calligrapher of a diwan in his royal library. 'Abd al-Rahim was granted the title, Anbarin Qalam (Amber pen), by Jahangir who so admired him that he commissioned Anbarin Qalam's portrait to be added to a copy of Nizami's Khamseh finished by the calligrapher in 1595 AD (British Library, Or. ms. 12208).

Falk, T.(Ed.): Treasues of Islam, exhibition catalogue, Geneva 1985, p.170, no.150
Soudavar, A.: Art of the Persian Courts, New York 1992, pp. 120, 339

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