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Lot Essay
'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. His portrait appears at the end of a copy of the Khamsa of Nizami that he copied for the Emperor. 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 Khamseh 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.
Another calligraphic folio from the same album also signed by 'Abd al-Rahim 'Anbarin Qalam and also dated AH 1030/1620-21, sold in these Rooms, 26 April 1994, lot 14. Two folios from the same album sold at Sotheby's as part of the Berkeley Trust sale, 12 October 2004, lots 4 and 5.
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 Khamseh 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.
Another calligraphic folio from the same album also signed by 'Abd al-Rahim 'Anbarin Qalam and also dated AH 1030/1620-21, sold in these Rooms, 26 April 1994, lot 14. Two folios from the same album sold at Sotheby's as part of the Berkeley Trust sale, 12 October 2004, lots 4 and 5.