拍品专文
The inscription with the signature indicates that Sulayman al-Na'ili wrote this hilyeh for the Qa'im maqam of Egypt 'Ali Bey. 'Ali Bey was a Mamluk who rebelled against the Ottomans and ruled over Egypt between 1760 and 1773 AD.
The hilyeh is a description of the Prophet Muhammad, rendered in calligraphic format. Credit for the layout of the classic hilyeh goes to the famous Ottoman calligrapher Hafiz 'Uthman. The layout is usually with the bismallah above, followed by the description and with the names of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs in roundels. It was often an examination piece for budding calligraphers, submitted by the pupil to master (Nabil Safwat, The Art of the Pen, Oxford, 1996, pp. 46-49).
The hilyeh is a description of the Prophet Muhammad, rendered in calligraphic format. Credit for the layout of the classic hilyeh goes to the famous Ottoman calligrapher Hafiz 'Uthman. The layout is usually with the bismallah above, followed by the description and with the names of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs in roundels. It was often an examination piece for budding calligraphers, submitted by the pupil to master (Nabil Safwat, The Art of the Pen, Oxford, 1996, pp. 46-49).