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Manuscript/Mixed Material Two verses of poetry

About this Item

Title

  • Two verses of poetry

Created / Published

  • 16th-17th centuries

Headings

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

Notes

  • -  Two verses of Persian poetry written in Nasta'liq, resembling calligraphies and paintings in Mughal Indian albums of 16-17 Cent.
  • -  Dimensions of Written Surface: 16.5 (w) x 7.8 (h) cm
  • -  Shud an jan-i jahan daman kashan chun az chaman birun / Ravan shud jan-i murghan-i chaman gu'i za tan birun
  • -  The calligrapher has followed to the letter the maxim "form fits function." Taking his clue from the repeated "n" sound in the Persian poem, he has emphasized the circular interlacing shape of the "n" (nun) letters on the sheet of paper. Like lacework, the calligraphy is 'stitched' together by the artistic layout of the recurring rounded nuns.
  • -  The poet describes the arrival of his loved one, nicknamed the "spirit of the world" (jan-i jahan), and the euphoria he feels upon seeing her. Like birds fly up, his spirit rises so high as if to pierce through his bodily cage.
  • -  The text panel includes eight verses inscribed in rectangular frames and decorated in gold cloud bands, constituting a "text" border for the central panel. At the top and bottom of the main panel appear cut out pieces of marble paper (ebru or abri) and illuminated finials typically reserved for the top of a text page (sarloh). The two lines of poetry in the central panel, written in black nasta'liq, framed by cloud bands outlined in blue ink, and placed on a beige background decorated with painted gold flowers, read:
  • -  This calligraphic fragment includes a small rectangular panel of text pasted onto a much larger page decorated with a blue paper and painted with gold flower motifs. This fragment resembles a number of pages used to mount calligraphies and paintings in Mughal Indian albums such as the famous St. Petersburg Muraqqa' (Akimushkin 1996).
  • -  When the spirit of the world came out of the garden with a floating skirt / The birds of the garden's spirit flew up, you say, like out of a body
  • -  Script: nasta'liq
  • -  1-86-154.141

Medium

  • 1 volume ; 43 (w) x 28.7 (h) cm

Repository

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

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2019714633

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:

Two Verses of Poetry. 16th-17th Centuries. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/2019714633/.

APA citation style:

Two Verses of Poetry. 16th-17th Centuries. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2019714633/.

MLA citation style:

Two Verses of Poetry. 16th-17th Centuries. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2019714633/>.