A PANEL OF NASTA’LIQ MASHQ (PRACTICE) AND ANOTHER OF SHIKASTEH NASTA’LIQ MASHQ CALLIGRAPHY
Iran, late 19th and early 20th centuries

Persian manuscripts on paper, comprising a shikasteh nasta’liq mashq panel in two different reed pens, the text laid out in multi-directional clusters on gold-sprinkled paper, set within black and white rules, in a pink mount, framed and glazed, the text panel 21cm x 17cm, 35cm x 29.8cm including the frame; and another similar, of nasta’liq mashq script in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal formations, inscribed in a different hand on the corner 'the calligraphy of Mr. Hajj Mohtashem al-Saltaneh Isfandiari, Qasem Ghani, 18 Mehr 1318 (11 October 1939)', mounted on taupe paper, framed and glazed, 17.8cm x 22.2cm, 28.2cm x 23.5cm including the frame.

The inscription on the nasta'liq mashq exercise panel associates it with Qasem Ghani (1893 - 1952), a renowned Persian physician, diplomat, important Hafez scholar, cabinet minister, politician, and statesman. Born into a moderately prosperous family of small landholders, Ghani's career can be divided into three distinct periods: he first practiced as a physician; then attended to his literary vocation, becoming established as one of the main collectors, scholars, and critical editors of Hafez's works; and lastly, entered politics in the mid-1930s. In particular, in 1938, the same year mentioned in our panel, he went to Egypt to play a key role in the arrangements for the marriage of Princess Fawziya to the Persian Crown Prince, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, and the following year, he returned as part of the royal entourage to celebrate their wedding.

Ghani was a prolific writer with a habit of jotting down spontaneous comments and notes related to daily events, or the date and place of special encounters and incidents. The inscription on our panel seems to fit his personality and eye for detail. In fact, he left behind a vast quantity of diaries, notebooks, documents, and letters, which have been compiled and edited into twelve volumes under the general supervision of his son, Cyrus Ghani (The Memoirs of Dr. Ghassem Ghani, London, 1980 - 84), creating a valuable documentary source for his life and that of many of his early 20th-century contemporaries. For further information on Qasem Ghani's life, please see Abbas Milani, 'ḠANĪ, QĀSEM' in Encyclopaedia Iranica, last updated 15 December 2000 (https://iranicaonline.org/articles/gani-).