FOUR SIGNED AND DATED PANELS OF NASKH CALLIGRAPHY
Qajar Iran, 18th and 19th centuries

Arabic and Persian manuscripts on paper, comprising a folio with sura al-Fatiha (1) and prayer in praise of the Prophet, black ink on paper, with 8ll. of naskh script in gold cloud-bands, set within gold rules, signed Abd ul-Ali, dated 1219 AH (1804 AD), the calligrapher paying tribute to the master Muhammad Hossein Al-Sharif, with concentric pale pink and grey borders, mounted on yellow paper, framed and glazed, the text panel 19.2cm x 9.6cm, 31cm x 25.8cm including the frame; another panel with 13ll. of black naskh script in diagonal format reading the Qamus al-Kabir prayer attributed to Imam 'Ali, the text set in pale gold cloud-bands, signed Umm Salmah, dated the last day of Jamadi ul-Awwal 1239 AH (1 February 1824 AD), in a dusky pink mount, framed and glazed, the text panel 22cm x 13cm, 36cm x 31cm including the frame; a third folio with munajat (prayers) of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, with 7ll. of black ink naskh script in gold cloud-bands, signed Muhammad Hashim and dated 1188 AH (1774 AD), set within crenelated gold and cobalt blue paper border, mounted on russet paper, framed and glazed, the text panel 17cm x 10.2cm, 30cm x 19.5cm including the frame; and the last one with 16ll. of the Prophet's sayings in Arabic within gold cloud-bands, signed and back-dated in tribute to the master Ala’ud Din Al-Tabrizi by Muhammad Hossein Tabatabay, 1108 AH (1696 AD), within a blue inner border, in a double cream mount with gilt bevelled edges, the text panel 20.2cm x 13cm, 45.5m x 37cm including the frame.