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Lot Essay
The calligraphy on the verso of this album page is copied by Sultan ‘Ali Mashhadi. Born around 1437-38, Sultan
'Ali Mashhadi was considered the first among equals by calligraphers of the period. In his famous treatise, Qadi Ahmad describes his writings as the sun among other planets. He was active at the court of Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqara in Herat and died on 10 Rabi' I AH 926/2 March 150 AD (V. Minorsky, Calligraphers and Painters, A Treatise by Qadi Ahmad, son of Mir Munshi, Washington, 1959, pp.101-103).
Wilfred Jasper Walter Blunt (1901-87), the former owner of this album page, and that of the preceding lot, was an art teacher, author, artist and curator of the Watts Gallery at Compton, Surrey (1959-83). He taught at Haileybury College (1923-37) and Eton College (1937-59) where his students included the artist and collector Howard Hodgkin. On the artist’s website, Hodgkin credits Blunt with inspiring his collecting, largely through the organisation of exhibitions, including one which featured highlights of the Royal Collection such as Mansur’s famous Chameleon. Hodgkin also writes of Blunt’s own collection of Indian and Persian paintings, which as an art student Hodgkin borrowed to make an exhibition. Blunt certainly had some interest in the Middle East, and wrote three books on the region – The Golden Road to Samarqand, Isfahan. Pearl of Persia and Splendours of Islam.
Three paintings from what appears to be the same album as ous, also formerly in the collection of Wilfred Blunt, are in the British Museum. They were all painted in Safavid Tabriz, circa 1530 and 1540, and two are ascribed to Mir Musavvir and his son Mir Sayyid ‘Ali (OA 1930,11-12,0.1 and OA 1930,11-12,0.2; Sheila Canby, Persian Painting, London, 1993, figs. 52 and 53, p.85 and 1996,0326,0.1; https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=230882&partId=1&people=142033&peoA=142033-3-18&page=1). Two other folios, with similar gold decorated borders and of the same size to our folios were recently in these Rooms, 10 April 2014, lots 86 and 191. It is likely that those too came from the same album.
For a note on the paintings please see the preceding lot.
'Ali Mashhadi was considered the first among equals by calligraphers of the period. In his famous treatise, Qadi Ahmad describes his writings as the sun among other planets. He was active at the court of Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqara in Herat and died on 10 Rabi' I AH 926/2 March 150 AD (V. Minorsky, Calligraphers and Painters, A Treatise by Qadi Ahmad, son of Mir Munshi, Washington, 1959, pp.101-103).
Wilfred Jasper Walter Blunt (1901-87), the former owner of this album page, and that of the preceding lot, was an art teacher, author, artist and curator of the Watts Gallery at Compton, Surrey (1959-83). He taught at Haileybury College (1923-37) and Eton College (1937-59) where his students included the artist and collector Howard Hodgkin. On the artist’s website, Hodgkin credits Blunt with inspiring his collecting, largely through the organisation of exhibitions, including one which featured highlights of the Royal Collection such as Mansur’s famous Chameleon. Hodgkin also writes of Blunt’s own collection of Indian and Persian paintings, which as an art student Hodgkin borrowed to make an exhibition. Blunt certainly had some interest in the Middle East, and wrote three books on the region – The Golden Road to Samarqand, Isfahan. Pearl of Persia and Splendours of Islam.
Three paintings from what appears to be the same album as ous, also formerly in the collection of Wilfred Blunt, are in the British Museum. They were all painted in Safavid Tabriz, circa 1530 and 1540, and two are ascribed to Mir Musavvir and his son Mir Sayyid ‘Ali (OA 1930,11-12,0.1 and OA 1930,11-12,0.2; Sheila Canby, Persian Painting, London, 1993, figs. 52 and 53, p.85 and 1996,0326,0.1; https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=230882&partId=1&people=142033&peoA=142033-3-18&page=1). Two other folios, with similar gold decorated borders and of the same size to our folios were recently in these Rooms, 10 April 2014, lots 86 and 191. It is likely that those too came from the same album.
For a note on the paintings please see the preceding lot.