SIGNED MUHAMMAD SHAWQI (MEHMED SEVKI EFENDI), OTTOMAN TURKEY, DATED AH 1292/1875-6 AD

Mehmed Shevki Efendi was born in 1829 in Kastamonu province in Anatolia. He was initially tutored in calligraphy by his uncle Mehmed Hulusi Efendi. However the nephew would soon outshine his uncle and eventually became known as the founder of the renowned 'Shevki school' of calligraphy. His style is typified by his neat yet flowing letters which are elaborate and graceful. His preferred scripts included thuluth, naskh and riqa, all of which he mastered at a young age. Mehmed Shevki Efendi also tutored Sultan Abdulhamid II's sons in calligraphy. During his attendance at the Ottoman court, he was known for his abstemious and kind nature. It emerged after his death in 1887 that he had donated most of his wealth to charitable causes in his native village in Anatolia. A Qur'an also included in this sale (lot 341) was copied by a student of Shevki's.