May God give you glory in both worlds
19th century
Description
This is an example of a rarefied and extremely painstaking genre of calligraphy in which a dried leaf was used for the support. In this case, the leaf appears to be from a horse chestnut tree. Written in a majestic thuluth, the Arabic inscription is beautifully composed in an oval to fill the lower and broader part of the leaf. Most Ottoman leaf calligraphies employ gold ink. Microscopic examination of this leaf revealed no pigment whatsoever, which may explain its extremely fragile condition.
Dimensions
21.5 x 10.7 cm (8 7/16 x 4 3/16 in.)
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