SIGNED AHMAD [SIYAHI EFFENDI], OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED AH 1099/1687-88 AD

Born in Istanbul, Siyahi Ahmad was the son of Salih Effendi. He studied calligraphy with Tophaneli Mahmud Effendi (d.1669). Due to his mastery in the nasta'liq script, he was praised as "the Imad of his age". He worked as a military chancellor and passed away in 1687. This qit'a must therefore be amongst his last (Mustaqimzade Suleyman Saadeddin Effendi, Tuhfah-i Khattatin, Istanbul, 1928, p.643).

Examples of seventeenth century Ottoman nasta'liq rarely appear on the market. Ahmad Siyahi, along with 'Abdi of Bukhara and his teacher Tophaneli Mahmud, are regarded the founders of the Ottoman nasta'liq school.