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Lot Essay
The old printed label on the reverse reads 'Contains a verse of Persian poetry in the Jali-Taaliq' and hand-written ', written by Muhammad-Asaad, al-Yasary'.
Muhammad As'ad al-Yasari (Yesari Mehmed Es'ad Efendi d. AH 1213/1798 AD) was born in Istanbul, the son of Kara Mahmud Aga. The name Yasari derives from the fact that he was left handed. In fact he was also paralyzed on the right side and afflicted with tremors on the left, making his talent for calligraphy, and in particular the tal'iq script even more notable. He first studied with a master of ta'liq, Shaykh al-Islam Wali al-Din Efendi (Veliüddin Efendi) and then with Dedezadeh Muhammad Sa'id Efendi from whom he received his calligrapher's diploma (ijaza) in 1754.
The present panel (levha), dated AH 1196, corresponds to the very beginning of what can be described as Yasari's career peak with his innovative style, between AH 1196/1782 AD and AH 1200/1786 AD. Having closely followed the style of the great Safavid master of nasta'liq script, Mir 'Imad (1554-1615) - he was sometimes known as 'Imad-i Rum, the 'Imad of Anatolia, Yasari began to develop his own style which led to an new Ottoman method, exemplified by the levha offered in this sale.
Yasari As'ad was appointed calligraphy instructor at the Imperial Palace by Sultan Mustafa III (r. 1789-1807) and Sultan Selim III (r. 1789-1807) admired his architectural compositions. He wrote the inscription of a panel in the mihrab of the Hagia Sophia and others for the Tomb of Sultan Mehmet II, the Barracks of the Black Eunuchs at Topkapi, the Beylerbeyi Mosque and the Aynali Kavak Sarayi which are amongst the finest examples of Ottoman calligraphy. His other recorded works are calligraphic pages, one dated AH 1193/1779-80 AD which he copied from Mir 'Imad (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan, Vol. III, Tehran, 1348 sh., p. 633).
He was particularly renowned for calligraphic panels intended for albums such as a quatrain which sold at Christie's South Kensington, 23 April 2012, lot 89 (Sheila Blair, Islamic Calligraphy, London, 2006, p.516. A muraqqa' album by Yasari is in the Sakip Sabanci Collection (M. Ugur Derman, Letters in Gold, New York, 1998, no. 28, pp. 100-01). Another muraqqa' album sold in Christie's, King Street rooms, 6 October 2009, lot 86.
Yasari's son, Mustafa 'Izzet Yasari zadeh is known to have fully codified the rules of jali ta'liq. He was trained by his father from whom he received his ijaza in 1788. It is recorded that they went on pilgrimage to Mecca together in 1792. He held various official charges, including that of Head of the Government Printing Press. He is thought to have brought Turkish ta'liq to unequalled heights after 1834. A Qit'a signed by him and dated AH 1262 sold at Christie's South Kensington, 23 April 2012, lot 92.
Muhammad As'ad al-Yasari (Yesari Mehmed Es'ad Efendi d. AH 1213/1798 AD) was born in Istanbul, the son of Kara Mahmud Aga. The name Yasari derives from the fact that he was left handed. In fact he was also paralyzed on the right side and afflicted with tremors on the left, making his talent for calligraphy, and in particular the tal'iq script even more notable. He first studied with a master of ta'liq, Shaykh al-Islam Wali al-Din Efendi (Veliüddin Efendi) and then with Dedezadeh Muhammad Sa'id Efendi from whom he received his calligrapher's diploma (ijaza) in 1754.
The present panel (levha), dated AH 1196, corresponds to the very beginning of what can be described as Yasari's career peak with his innovative style, between AH 1196/1782 AD and AH 1200/1786 AD. Having closely followed the style of the great Safavid master of nasta'liq script, Mir 'Imad (1554-1615) - he was sometimes known as 'Imad-i Rum, the 'Imad of Anatolia, Yasari began to develop his own style which led to an new Ottoman method, exemplified by the levha offered in this sale.
Yasari As'ad was appointed calligraphy instructor at the Imperial Palace by Sultan Mustafa III (r. 1789-1807) and Sultan Selim III (r. 1789-1807) admired his architectural compositions. He wrote the inscription of a panel in the mihrab of the Hagia Sophia and others for the Tomb of Sultan Mehmet II, the Barracks of the Black Eunuchs at Topkapi, the Beylerbeyi Mosque and the Aynali Kavak Sarayi which are amongst the finest examples of Ottoman calligraphy. His other recorded works are calligraphic pages, one dated AH 1193/1779-80 AD which he copied from Mir 'Imad (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Asar-e Khosh-Nevisan, Vol. III, Tehran, 1348 sh., p. 633).
He was particularly renowned for calligraphic panels intended for albums such as a quatrain which sold at Christie's South Kensington, 23 April 2012, lot 89 (Sheila Blair, Islamic Calligraphy, London, 2006, p.516. A muraqqa' album by Yasari is in the Sakip Sabanci Collection (M. Ugur Derman, Letters in Gold, New York, 1998, no. 28, pp. 100-01). Another muraqqa' album sold in Christie's, King Street rooms, 6 October 2009, lot 86.
Yasari's son, Mustafa 'Izzet Yasari zadeh is known to have fully codified the rules of jali ta'liq. He was trained by his father from whom he received his ijaza in 1788. It is recorded that they went on pilgrimage to Mecca together in 1792. He held various official charges, including that of Head of the Government Printing Press. He is thought to have brought Turkish ta'liq to unequalled heights after 1834. A Qit'a signed by him and dated AH 1262 sold at Christie's South Kensington, 23 April 2012, lot 92.