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Lot Essay
Throughout these exercises, we can see the names ‘Ali, Husayn, Mohammed, and Hassan repeated in bold gold calligraphy. Allah is suspended above the names in one calligram, metaphorically signifying the subservience of even the most important Shi'ite figures to God. The face on a dark green ground closely resembles that of one found in the Brooklyn Museum (59.205.17). The configuration of the calligraphy matches in both examples, although ours differs with a lack of ornamentation and is smaller in size.
Calligraphic exercises and calligrams were often designed to have a talismanic element. The hand of Fatima, also known as the khamsa, is a well-known emblem used as a talisman. For example, an 'alam in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1984.504.2) takes the same form and demonstrates the surviving belief that both the hand of Fatima and the invocation of important Shi'ite figures would provide a level of protection against ill.
Calligraphic exercises and calligrams were often designed to have a talismanic element. The hand of Fatima, also known as the khamsa, is a well-known emblem used as a talisman. For example, an 'alam in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1984.504.2) takes the same form and demonstrates the surviving belief that both the hand of Fatima and the invocation of important Shi'ite figures would provide a level of protection against ill.