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Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy

al-Fatihah

AUTHOR/CREATOR
Calligrapher: 'Aliriza

CREATED/PUBLISHED
1241/1825

NOTES
Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.4 (w) x 18.9 (h) cm

Script: naskh

This calligraphic panel includes the bismillah at the top, followed by the Qur'an's first surah entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening). The Fatihah introduces the Qur'an by praising God and asking for his guidance to the right path. On the last line, the Fatihah panel is signed by a certain 'Aliriza and dated 1241/1825 ( Selim 1979, 145). The entire specimen is calligraphed in dark brown naskh (cursive) script on a beige paper, which is framed by a series of alternating gold and dark blue frames and pasted on a thick cardboard backing.

'Aliriza may be the 19th-century Persian calligrapher 'Aliriza b. Hajji Muhammad Ja'far, who executed a calligraphic work dated 1258/1842 now held in the National Library of Iran (Bayani 1358/1939, vol. 4, entry 315). 'Aliriza's work shows a revival of interest in the naskh script during the modern period and appears indebted to the calligraphy of his predecessor, the famous 18th-century Persian calligrapher Ahmad Nayrizi. The latter was the last great calligrapher of Iran who mastered the naskh script at a time when preference was given to the ta'liq and nasta'liq scripts. This signed Fatihah constitutes an example of a 19th-century signed and dated Persian calligraphic panel executed in naskh.

SUBJECT
Islamic manuscripts
Islamic calligraphy
Naskh
Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
Arabic script calligraphy
Arabic calligraphy

MEDIUM
23.5 (w) x 36 (w) cm

CALL NUMBER
1-86-154.136

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

DIGITAL ID
ascs 149
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.149

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