Albums16th-19th century

Album of calligraphy specimens

1854 (date of album compilation)

Description

The album contains 19 folios, carrying 36 pieces of calligraphy. A small note suggests that the album entered the library of Khanlar Mirza Ihtisham al-Dawla, in Muharram 1271/Sep-Oct 1854. He was the seventeenth son of the crown prince, ‘Abbas Mirza. All folios have attributions written in the margins. Altogether there are 2 folios in taʿliq by Khwaja Ikhtiyar, 13 folios by Darvish ‘Abd al-Majid Taliqani (d. Isfahan, 1185 H.), 7 folios by Muhammad Shafi‘ Isfahani (known as Shafi‘a) (d. c.1089 H.), 3 folios by Mirza Kuchak Isfahani (d. after 1228 H.), 2 by Mirza Riza (d. 12th century H.), 2 in the style of Shafi‘a, and 2 in the manner of Darvish. The two folios attributed to Khwaja Ikhtiyar are the oldest works in this album. The album is bound in a dark brown leather binding bordered by gold painted frames. The inside covers are plain brown leather framed by two gold lines.

Classification

Albums

Medium

Ink, colors, and gold on paper; leather and gold binding

Century

16th-19th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

24 x 15 cm (9 7/16 x 5 7/8 in.)

Provenance

Ezzat-Malek Soudavar, Geneva, Switzerland (by 2014), by descent; to her son Abolala Soudavar, Houston, Texas (2014), loan; to Harvard Art Museums, 2015. Note: Ezzat-Malek Soudavar (1913-2014) formed this collection over a period of sixty years. She purchased the works of art on the international art market.

Related Artworks

Albums

Portrait of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (after Cranach?)

Haydar Reis (called Nigari), 1566-1574

Opaque watercolor on paper

16th centuryOttoman

Albums

Folio 15 from an Album of Calligraphic Panels

`Ala al-Din, 17th-18th century

Ink with opaque watercolor and gold on paper

17th-18th centuryIndian

Albums

Paintings (recto and verso), folio 16 from an album

Unknown Artist, c. 1767

Opaque watercolor on paper

18th centuryIndian

Albums

Portrait of a Youth Wearing Red Trousers and a Green Tunic

Unknown Artist, c. 1610

Opaque watercolor on paper

17th centuryOttoman

Albums

Bramin; from an Album entitled “Costumes of India”

Lucknow Company School, c. 1800

Opaque watercolor on paper

19th centuryIndian

Albums

Young Man in a Blue Cloak

Aqa Riza (Riza ‘Abbasi), c. 1587

Ink, color and gold on paper

16th centuryPersian

Albums

Verses by Hafiz, folio from an album

Mir `Imad, late 16th century

Ink, color and gold on paper

16th centuryPersian

Albums

A Hindoo Lady of the Zenana; from an Album entitled “Costumes of India”

Lucknow Company School, c. 1800

Opaque watercolor on paper

19th centuryIndian

Albums

Paintings (recto and verso), folio 15 from an album

Unknown Artist, c. 1767

Opaque watercolor on paper

18th centuryIndian

Albums

Lady Holding a Cup and Carafe, folio from an album

Unknown Artist, c. 1600

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

16th-17th centuryPersian

Albums

Album of paintings and calligraphy

Unknown Artist, 16th century

Green and gold leather binding

16th centuryPersian

Albums

Folio 30 from an Album of Artists' Drawings from Qajar Iran: Three sheets: Pen box design with perspectival architectural landscape divided by medallions (top), Bahram Gur visiting a princess (center), Pen box design with audience scene divided by medallions (bottom) (recto); Blank page (verso)

Unknown Artist, 1830-1850

Left: red ink on off-white modern laid paper; pricked and rubbed with red chalk; Middle: brown ink on off-white wove paper; Middle verso: brown ink and watercolor, Right: red and blue-black inks on off-white modern laid paper; pricked and rubbed with red chalk (recto)

19th centuryPersian