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Manuscript/Mixed Material Muraqqa' of Poetical Excerpts

About this Item

Title

  • Muraqqa' of Poetical Excerpts

Names

  • Mirza Quli Mayli

Created / Published

  • 17th-18th centuries

Headings

  • -  Calligraphy, Arabic
  • -  Calligraphy, Persian
  • -  Manuscripts, Persian--Washington (D.C.)
  • -  Iran
  • -  Arabic script calligraphy
  • -  Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
  • -  Islamic calligraphy
  • -  Islamic manuscripts
  • -  Nasta'liq

Notes

  • -  An Muraqqa' of calligraphies with several Persian poetry verses, written in black Nasta'liq script by the calligapher Mirza Quli Mayli during the 17th-18 cent Iran.
  • -  Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.5 (w) x 19.2 (h) cm
  • -  In the center of the text panel appears one iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, and two verses (tak bayt) by the Deccani poet Shaykh Fayzi Hindi. The quatrain reads:
  • -  In the lower left corner of the panel containing the diagonal verses by Shaykh Fayzi Hindi, the calligapher Mirza Quli Mayli has signed his work with his name inscribed vertically. He was most likely a calligrapher active in Persia (Iran) during the 17th or 18th century.
  • -  In the right column, an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, by Shaykh Fayzi Hindi written in diagonal describes the effects of love. Another one of his love quatrains also appears on the main text panel on the fragment's recto (1-88-154.32 R).
  • -  Oh God, how do you appear when my eye looks upon your face / By every glance it (my eye) is beguiled to take another look / Oh, from the lie of procrastination at the foot of deceit / On tomorrow's Day of Gathering, s/he searches for another tomorrow
  • -  The quatrain describes a lover's enchantment at his beloved's face, which entices him to look at it again and again.
  • -  The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script in diagonal on a cream-colored paper and in horizontal on panels made of beige paper. Corners created by the intersection of the diagonal verses and the horizontal and vertical frames are filled with illuminated triangular panels. The text panel is framed by borders of various colors and pasted to a larger sheet of beige paper decorated with various vegetal and geometric motifs painted in gold.
  • -  The verses are written in black nasta'liq script on a blue paper decorated with leaf motifs painted in gold. Verses also form registers around the central text panel, separated by squares filled with decorative motifs in blue or gold. The entire text panel is pasted to a larger cream-colored sheet decorated with painted gold flowers and backed by cardboard.
  • -  The verso of this folio from an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies includes excerpts by the poets Shaykh Fayzi Hindi (d. 1004/1595-6), Mawlana Baqiri (11/17th century), and (Muhammad Husayn) Chalabi Tabrizi (11/17th century). The names of the three poets are picked out in red ink on the folio and are followed by their respective poetical verses.
  • -  This calligraphic sample from an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies includes poetical verses composed by the poets Zahir Fariyabi (d. 598/1202), (Shaykh) Fayzi (d. 1004/1595-6), Khwajah Afzal-i Taraka (d. 580/1185), and Asir (al-Din) Akhsikati (d. 577/1181 or 579/1183). Their names are picked out in gold ink and are followed by their respective verses, which are chosen for their thematic unity. They all describe the power of love ('ishq) and its rewards.
  • -  Ya rabb, cha mahari tu ka chasm-i man az rukhat / Dar har nigah mahv-i tamasha-yi digar ast / Ah az durugh-i va'ida-yi u kaz pay-yi farib / Farda-yi hashr talib-i farda-yi digar ast
  • -  Script: nasta'liq
  • -  1-88-154.32

Medium

  • 1 volume ; 19.8 (w) x 31.9 (h) cm

Repository

  • Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2019714676

Online Format

  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The contents of the Library of Congress Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions and are free to use and reuse.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Mirza Quli Mayli. Muraqqa' of Poetical Excerpts. 17th-18th Centuries. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/2019714676/.

APA citation style:

Mirza Quli Mayli. Muraqqa' of Poetical Excerpts. 17th-18th Centuries. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2019714676/.

MLA citation style:

Mirza Quli Mayli. Muraqqa' of Poetical Excerpts. 17th-18th Centuries. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2019714676/>.