ascs000001	resourceid|ascs-070,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.070	cll|unknown	Bihari  Qur'an		c. 1400-1525 AD		Script: Bihari%This folio contains, on the right side, verses 2-8 of Surat al-Kahf (The Cave), and, on the left side, verses 67-70 of Chapter 17 of the Qur'an, entitled Surat Bani  Isra'il (The Children of Israel), also known as Surat al-Isra' (The Night Journey).  With the folio's verso, this fragment includes parts of Chapter 17 and the beginning of Chapter 18 of the Qur'an.%The borders of the text include a commentary in Persian on a particular verse of the Qur'an.  This commentary typically is written in black ink and laid out diagonally in the margin.  On the rightmost margin of the verso appears a note cross-referenced with the number 1 to the sixth ayah (verse) of Surat al-Kahf.  The commentary elaborates on the meaning of this verse (18:6), in which it is stated: "You would only perchance fret yourself to death, following them in grief if they do not believe in your message."  This particular verse's ambiguity seems to have necessitated explanation.  Typically, it is explained here that the Prophet Muhammad is met with opposition and persecution at the beginning of his preaching of the Islamic faith, but he must not worry as he will be successful in his mission (Qur'an: 708, fn 2331).  In this particular fragment, only a commentary is given in the margin.  Other bihari Qur'ans bear double margins, containing both a commentary and alternative readings of certain words appearing in the Qur'anic text (James 1992b: 103, cat. no. 27).%The right side of the folio contains a small catchword written diagonally in black in the lower left corner in order to organize and bind the folios in the correct sequence.  The ayah markers here, as on the recto of the folio, consist of eight-petal rosettes outlined in black, with a square gold-leaf center and eight blue dots on their outer edges.%The fragment is written in a script known as bihari, a variant of naskh (cursive) typical of northern India aster Timur's conquest and prior to the establishment of the Mughal Dynasty (ca. 1400-1525 A.D.). Bihari script is reconizable by its emphasis on the sublinear elements of the Arabic letter forms, thickened at their centers and chiseled like swords at their ends (James 1992b, 102). The term bihari derives from the province Bihar in eastern India, but it seems like its alternative spelling bahari describes the size (bahar) of the paper used for writing Qur'ans (ibid; and Rahman 1979, pls. 3-15).%Most Qur'ans written in bihari script make us of strong orange or red and blue colors for illuminated motifs, as well as for the main body of the text. This particular fragment repeats lines of script in the following manner: one line of gold, two lines of black, one line of blue, two lines of black, one line of gold. Other bihari Qur'ans may simply alternate black and gold ink for the main text, prefering to keep blue (and red) ink for ornamental designs (Beit Al Qur'an 1996, 105). Also typical appears the picking out in gold of significant words such as "allah" or his various names and epithets (the so-called Asma' Allah al-Husna, or the Beautiful Names of God), which occurs here, most notably, in the first two lines after the sura heading on the left folio. Other bihari Qur'ans also highlight the name of God, sometimes prefering red over gold ink (James 1992b; 104, cat. nos. 27-8).%This fragment includes interlinear Persian translation in red ink, as well as marginal commentary (tasfir) on the text written in black ink, appearing in diagonal in the text's border and cross-referenced to the Qur'anic text in a numerical fashion not too dissimilar from today's footnote system. Bihari Qur'ans tend to include a note next to each chapter heading explaining its value and how many times it should be read (james 1992b: 104, cat. no. 28). However, this particular fragment also specifies the total number of words (kalamatuha) and letters (hurufuha) contained in each chapter.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Bihari			55.5 (w) x 36.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.21		intldl/ascs			14000000	text	tx	
ascs000002	resourceid|ascs-074,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.074	cll|unknown	Interlinear Qur'an (Surat al-Nisa')		c. 1250-1350 A.D.		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.5 (w) x 13.7 (h) cm%Script: muhaqqaq, thuluth, and Kufi%The recto of this Qur'an fragment contains parts of the first three verses of the fourth chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Nisa' (Chapter of the Women).  At the top left side of the folio appears the chapter title and the total number of its verses (176) in bold gold Kufi letters.  The title is contained in a gold-painted rectangular band ornamented with a gold medallion outlined in blue projecting into the left margin.  Immediately below the surah heading appears the first half of the first verse in large black muhaqqaq script, with diagonal word-by-word translations into Persian between each horizontal line of text.  The right side of the folio contains the second half of the third verse of the same chapter, which, when folded vertically in two at the center with verses 1-3 included on its verso (1-84-154.27c V), yields the first four continuous pages of text of Surat al-Nisa'.%Unlike similar interlinear Qur'ans that tend to include a Persian translation in red ink (James 1992a: 56-7, cat. no. 10), this particular fragment makes no color differentiation between the Arabic original and its Persian rendition immediately below.  Diacritical marks in red, such as the hamzah, dammah, and shaddah, appear to have been added at a later date, much like the marginal glosses and corrections.%On paleographic grounds, this Qur'an fragment appears to date from the Ilkhanid period (ca. 1250-1350).  It may have been produced in the imperial center of Tabriz in northwestern Iran.  The clear Arabic muhaqqaq and Persian thuluth scripts are typical of the period, as are certain variants in the Persian orthography (e.g. the dhal  (dh) appears in lieu of the dal (d).  It is quite unlike later Safavid interlinear Qur'ans, whose Persian translations appear in red nasta'liq script in horizontal registers (see 1-85-154.67 and Bayani 1999: 138-9, cat. no. 45).  Both the lack of differentiation between the color of the scripts and the absence of a frame in this fragment suggests that it dates from the formative years of Ilkhanid production of bilingual Arabic-Persian Qur'ans.%A further sense of antiquity appears in the gold surah heading in Kufi at the top of the left folio.  It harks back to earlier decorative ornaments and illumination present in Qur'ans of the 'Abbasid period (Droche 1992).  The paper is cream-colored, and the ink on the verso shows through to the recto.  An effaced gold and blue ayah marker appears in the right margin of the fourth line of text on the right folio.%The verso fortunately retains two verse markers that are almost entirely effaced on the recto: here we see simple black-ink multilobed outlines of rosettes, filled in with gold and a central blue circle.  The outer lobes are dotted with red marks, perhaps added at a later date.  Interlinear Qur'ans from the same period (ca. 1250-1350 A.D.) also include blue circles for verse markers, and in some cases these markers contain the word ayah to demarcate each verse (James 1992a: 56-7, cat. no. 10).%This Qur'anic fragment is of particular interest as it provides pronunciation directions in the margins, specifying, for example, how to lighten the sound "s" of a word or how to vocalize a terminal "m" of another (right folio, line three, right and left margins).  These marginal glosses instruct the reader how to read properly and thus highlight the oral nature of the Qur'an.	Local|Muhaqqaq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			31.9 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.27c		intldl/ascs			12500000	text	tx	
ascs000003	resourceid|ascs-090,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.090	cll|unknown	Tughra of Sultan Ahmed III		c. 1700-30 A.D.		Dimensions of Written Surface: 19.8 (w) x 15 (h) cm%Script: tughra%This tughra (imperial emblem) belongs to the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III and appears on the verso of a 16th-century Safavid Persian single-sheet fragment of a Fal-i Qur'an, or divination of the Qur'an by means of letters selected at random (for a further discussion of the topic, see 1-84-154.42 R).  Sultan Ahmed III ruled from 1115-43/1703-30, and so it is probable that the Qur'an in question traveled from southwestern Iran to the Topkapi Palace Library in Istanbul sometime during the 17th cenutry.  The largely effaced date of 1111/1700 on the verso further supports the hypothesis that the Qur'an arrived in Istanbul by the turn of the 18th century.  The tughra thus serves as a sort of ex-libris for Sultan Ahmed III.  He also may have ordered removed and pasted certain areas of the recto to conceal the real purpose of the sheet, as prognostication by means of the Holy Book was, and still remains, a problematic practice in Islam.%The tughra included here has a long tradition as a royal calligraphic emblem in Turkic cultures.  From the time of the Oguz, Seljuks, and most especially the Ottomans, it became the blazon of a ruler that included his name and titles, sometimes in highly stylized form.  Although it appears in this case as a kind of royal signature (imza'), the tughra typically initiated an imperial decree (ferman) and various legal documents such as property deeds (vakfiyahs).  It also appears on Ottoman buildings, coins, calligraphic panels, and postage stamps.  It symbolizes a "noble mark" (nishan-i sharif) of possession and thus often takes on the role of a seal impression (hatam or muhur), which grants permission or endows ownership (Sertoglu 1975: 3-8).%The tughra is composed of a variety of structural elements that make up the names and titles of a ruler.  In the case of Ahmed III, the tughra reads: Shah Ahmed bin Mehmed han, al-muzaffer daima (i.e. "King Ahmed, son of the Ruler Mehmed, forever victorious").  Although the ornate interlacing of Sultan Ahmed III's titles makes it difficult to identify the ruler in question, other extant tughras help identify and distinguish the compositional elements that make up this particular imperial cipher (Umur 1980: 240-5; Binark 1994: 19-45; and Derman 2002: 36 and 252-5).	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Tughra			28.7 (w) x 48.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.42 V		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000004	resourceid|ascs-089,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.089	unknown	Fal-i Qur'an (divination by the Qur'an)		c. 1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: 19.8 (w) x 30.9 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This single sheet of a Fal-i Qur'an lays out in rhyming Persian distichs (couplets) the means of divination by letters selected at random when opening to a page of the Qur'an.  This now single-page folio originally was included at the very end of a Safavid Persian Qur'an, immediately after the last surah (Surat al-Nas) and a closing prayer (du'a ba'd khatim al-Qur'an) on behalf of the Prophet and his family (e.g., see 1-85-154.74 R and V).  The layout of the divination text, the script, and the remaining original illumination in the text frame are typical of fals included at the end of Qur'ans made in Shiraz or Qazvin during the second half of the 16th century (see James 1992b: 172-81, cat nos. 39 and 43).%The pasting of the rectangular bands in the two vertical columns, as well as the illumination running around the text frame, may be tantamount to censorship in Sunni Ottoman hands, perhaps at the request of Sultan Ahmed III (r. 1703-30), whose tugra (royal emblem) appears on the folio's verso (see 1-84-154.42 V).  In particular, the pasted bands in the right vertical column hide individual letters of the alphabet, beginning with the letter "lam" (l), from which a poetical divination was extracted.  In other words, the poetical prognostication remains, while the letters themselves have been concealed.  Furthermore, this particular fragment must have been the third folio of the original divination text.  Today, it appears that the title and the first two pages (containing the letters "alif" through "kaf") of the fal do not survive.%Although divination by the Qur'an appears largely in a Safavid Shi'ite context, other examples of fals by means of the Qur'an entitled "Fi tafa'ul min kalam Allah al-majid" (on divination by means of Allah's glorious words) and "dar fal-i mushaf" (on divination by the Book) also appear in Sunni Ottoman artistic traditions during the latter part of the 16th century.  For example, an Ottoman Turkish Qur'an signed by a certain 'Abdallah and dated 980/1573 in the Keir Collection, England (VII.49) also contains a terminal fal (Robinson 1976, 294).  The reason prognostication by the Qur'an has largely been seen as a Shi'ite phenomenon is due to the fact that the practice, as well as the text, often times is attributed to 'Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.  In another extant Safavid Qur'an, for example, the divination text is entitled "Falnamah-ya hazrat-i Amir al-Mu'minin, 'Ali b. Abi Talib" (Keir VII.52, Robinson 1976, 294).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq			28.7 (w) x 48.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.42 R		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000005	resourceid|ascs-112,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.112	cll|unknown	Interlinear Qur'an (5: 89-95)		1207/1792-3		Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.2 (w) x 21.7 (h) cm%Verso: Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.7 (w) x 22 (h) cm%Script: naskh and nasta'liq%This interlinear Qur'an fragment of Surat al-Ma'idah (The Table/The Repast) is said to belong to a manuscript dated 1207/1792-3 (Selim 1979, 146).  In all likelihood, it was produced in Iran during the early years of Qajar rule (1785-1925).  This particular Qur'an includes translation in Persian written in complete sentences in red ink in between each verse of the Arabic original.  This late 18th-century practice of translation (or even paraphrasing) reveals a development of the production of interlinear Qur'ans over the centuries.  Some of the earliest bilingual Qur'ans only include word-by-word translations: this is especially the case for Qur'ans from the Ilkhanid period (see 1-84-154.27c R and V).%Three gold leaf-shaped cartouches appear at the top, bottom, and left margin of the folio.  Each cartouche contains writing in red ink, which altogether reads: "Surat al-Ma'idah, nuzilat fi al-Madinah" (The Chapter of the Repast, revealed in Medina).  The Qur'an is divided into Meccan and Medinan verses, as some verses were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca and others were revealed to him after his flight (hijrah) to Medina in 622 A.D.  Medinan verses number twenty-eight in total and tend to be longer than Meccan surahs. Their character is also more legalistic in nature, as they tend to lay out social and political norms for the Muslim community (Beit Al Qur'an 1996, 44). The few surah verses on this folio (5:89-95) support the prescriptive nature of Medinan verses, as they discuss the importance of keeping one's oath, giving food and clothing to the indigent, and avoiding gambling and divination.%At the top, bottom, and center of the right margin of this fragment's verso appear four gold leaf-shaped cartouches bearing writing in red ink. These three cartouches read: "al-juz' al-sabi' min ajza' al-thalathin" (the seventh part of the thirtieth part). The Qur'an is divided into approximately thirty equal sections called ajza' in order to facilitate the location of particular parts and to help in the process of learning, memorizing, and reciting Qur'anic verses. There are other divisions of the Qur'an, e.g. parts (ahzab) of a juz', five- (khams) and ten-verse ('ashr) marks, as well as other less common subdivisions according to traditions present in different parts of the Islamic World (Beit Al Qur'an 1996, 44). This fragment includes the letter 'ayn in a leaf-drop cartouche in the upper right margin: this letter stands for 'ashr and marks the stop of a tenth verse (in this case, verse 94).%Although not as refined as some Persian interlinear Qur'ans made for Safavid rulers (Bayani et al 1999: 138-45, cat. no. 45), this fragment reveals the extent to which the practice of translation in Persian and other non-Arabic languages became an integral part of the program of Qur'anic production.  For instance, many Qur'ans from Kashmir nearly contemporary to the fragment in the Library of Congress also bear Persian translations, although they tend to include marginal commentaries as well (Bayani et al 1999: 220-3, cat. no. 70 and 247-8, cat. no. 76; and Beit Al Qur'an 1996, 51).  Qur'ans with Turkic language (eastern Turkish, Anatolian Turkish, etc.) interlinear translations also appear as early as the 15th century (see John Rylands Library, Manchester, Arabic ms. 25-38; and Staatsbibliotek, Berlin, Hs. Or. 6163) and continue to be produced today.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			18 (w) x 29.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.67		intldl/ascs			17920000	text	tx	
ascs000006	resourceid|ascs-147,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.147	cll|Mahmud Ibrahim	Mirror image of 'Ali wali Allah		c. 1720-30		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.6 (w) x 16 (h) cm%Script: mirror-image thuluth%This 18th-century Ottoman levha, or calligraphic panel, depicts the Shi'i phrase 'Ali is the vicegerent of God in obverse and reverse, creating an exact mirror image.  The calligrapher has used the central vertical fold in the thick cream-colored paper to help trace the exact calligraphic duplication (Selim 1979, 162) prior to mounting it onto a cardboard and pasting rectangular pink frames along its borders.%Today, scholars accept mirror writing as a standard form of Arabic-script calligraphy, and have given it various names suggestive of its function: some refer to the script as specular, bi-fold (muthanna), duplicate writing (cift yazi), or reflecting (mutanathir) itself (Mandel Khan 2001: 130-3 and Ozonder 2003, 147).  Although mirror writing flourishes during the early modern period, it has been suggested that its origins may stretch back as far as pre-Islamic mirror-image rock inscriptions in the Hijaz, or the western strip of the Arabian peninsula (al-Moraekhi 2002, 123).  That this procedure appears in calligraphy should not be surprising, since engraving in reverse for the manufacturing of coins and seals was mastered very early on (al-Moraekhi 2002, 129).%The process of mirror writing and mirror image-making flourished in the Ottoman empire during the 18th and 19th centuries, in particular in mystical quarters associated with the Bektashi order.  The Bektashis created calligraphic panels and paintings representative of their tenets, among which the belief in the divinity of 'Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, comes to the fore (De Jong 1989: 7-9).  As suggested by this panel, God and 'Ali are indissociable, as one reflects a divine presence in concrete, almost replicated, form.  It is quite probable that this panel was hung on a wall in a Bektashi dervish's living quarters, mosque, or dervish lodge (tekkeh).%This calligraphic specimen includes the artist's holograph seal, a square impression overlapping the central vertical crease.  It bears the name of Mahmud Ibrahim, whose work appears in another levha in the Library of Congress (1-85-154.93) bearing the date 1134/1721-2 in the left margin and 1141/1728 in the seal impression.  Due to the similarity between the two panels and to the fact that they are by the same artist, we can hypothesize that the calligraphic panel here must date from c. 1720-30.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Mirror-image thuluth%Local|Arabic calligraphy			28.8 (w) x 18.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.130		intldl/ascs			17200000	text	tx	
ascs000007	resourceid|ascs-150,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.150	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses (9:33-36)		15th century		Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.7 (w) x 14.8 (h) cm%Verso: Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.2 (w) x 15 (h) cm%Script: masahif%The recto of this fragment contains verses 33-34 of Chapter 9 of the Qur'an entitled al-Tawbah (The Repentance), which is continued sequentially with verses 34-36 on the fragment's verso (see 1-86-154.137a V).  Surat al-Tawbah is also known as Surat al-Bara'ah (The Immunity), the from surah's opening word, since it is the only surah to which the introductory bismillah is not affixed (see 1-86-154.137b V).  These few verses (9:33-34) speak about how men must fight against pagan enemies and uphold their faith.%In the upper left corner of the folio appears a section (hizb) marker, consisting of gold and blue concentric circles, blue finials on its perimeter, and the word hizb written in its center (see  Selim 1979, 155).  The ayah marker that appears in the center of the uppermost line consists of a flower with petals, outlined in dark brown ink, provided with a red center, and filled in with gold leaf.  Various diacritical marks, such as the prolonged initial "a" sound (alif maddah) and the glottal stop (al-hamzah), are marked in red ink and seem to have been added at a later date to facilitate the pronunciation and recitation of the Qur'an.%The verso of this fragment contains verses 34-36 of Chapter 9 of the Qur'an entitled al-Tawbah (The Repentance), thus continuing sequentially verses 33-34 on the fragment's recto (see 1-86-154.137a R).  These few verses (9:34-36) speak about recompense and punishment, as well as the necessity to fight pagans, as per 9:36: "Fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together, and know that God is with those who restrain themselves".%This Qur'an is written in dark brown ink on a light beige rag paper.  The script used here is called masahif , which was used for copying the Qur'an (and occasionally for copies of the Bible as well).  It is a smaller and less stiff version of muhaqqaq, with which it is often mistaken.  With the cursive naskh and muhaqqaq scripts, masahif is the most popular of all Qur'anic scripts (Zakariya 1979, 25).%The layout of five lines per page is typical of 15th-century Qur'ans made in Mamluk Egypt (1250-1517).  This folio's layout and script resemble closely another Mamluk fragment in the Library of Congress (see 1-86-154.137b R and V).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Masahif%Local|Islamic calligraphy			18.5 (w) x 25.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.137a		intldl/ascs			140000	text	tx	
ascs000008	resourceid|ascs-151,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.151	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses (44:56-59, 45:1-4)		15th century		Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 17.8 (h) cm%Verso: Dimensions of Written Surface: 11 (w) x 18.2 (h) cm%Recto: Script: masahif%Verso: Script: pseudo-eastern Kufi (surah heading in gold) and masahif (verses)%This Qur'anic fragment contains the last verses (44: 56-59) of the surah entitled al-Dukhan (The Smoke).  Its verso continues with the beginning al-Jathiyah (The Kneeling Down), chapter 45 of the Qur'an (see 1-86-154.137b V). The theme of Surat al-Dukhan revolves around how worldly pride and power fade to smoke in front of spiritual truths and how men will meet God's judgment in the Hereafter.  As 44:56 states, God will preserve the righteous from the tortures of the Hell ('azab al-jahim).  The initial verses of al-Jathiyah discuss the various material signs of God on earth, such as the presence of humans and animals.%Below the chapter heading in gold executed in pseudo-eastern Kufi script, a cursive transcription of the same heading is written in blue thuluth.  It states that the chapter consists of thirty-seven ayat and was revealed in Mecca.  The blue transcription was probably added at a later date to clarify the rather illegible surah heading, as well as to give the proper number of verses (although the numbers 30 and 7 are transposed in the transcription).%The first verse of al-Jathiyah appearing after the initial bismillah ("In the Name of God"), contains only the two letters "h" (ha) and "m" (mim), a double-letter combination appearing at the beginning of surahs 40-46, all dated from the later Meccan period.  These abbreviated letters (al-muqatta'at) usually appear in various combinations at the opening of certain surahs in the Qur'an.  Because the exact meaning of each letter or letter combination remains unclear, the letters also are referred to as the "mystery" letters.  This appellation suggests that only God knows their exact, esoteric meanings (for a discussion of the mystery letters, see Qur'an 2001: 122-4, Appendix I)..  In this particular case, it may be suggested that the ha stands for Hayy ("God the Living") and the mim for Qayyum ("God the Eternal"), and thus combine the dual concepts of life and death (Qur'an 2001, 1203).  However, the meaning of these two letters remains purely conjectural.%The Qur'an is written in dark brown ink on a light beige rag paper.  The script is called masahif: It is smaller than muhaqqaq and used principally for the copying of Qur'ans (for a discussion, see 1-86-154.137a R).  The diacritical marks (tashkil) are executed in the same brown ink, while three upturned gold-painted commas (or virgules) represent the verse markers  (Selim 1979, 154). The layout of five lines per page is typical of 15th-century Qur'ans made in Mamluk Egypt (1250-1517). This folio resembles closely another Mamluk fragment in the Library of Congress (see 1-86-154.137a R and V).	Local|Masahif%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Pseudo-eastern kufi%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			18 (w) x 26 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.137b		intldl/ascs			140000	text	tx	
ascs000013	resourceid|ascs-120,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.120	cll|unknown	Surat al-Nas and Du'a		c. 1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 9.5 (w) x 19 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 9.5 (w) x 19 (h) cm%Script: Ottoman naskh%This fragment contains on the top line the last two verses (ayat) of the last chapter (surah) of the Qur'an, entitled Surat al-Nas (Chapter of Mankind).  This particular chapter extols seeking refuge in the Lord from Satan, who, like the spirits (al-jinn), whispers evil things in the hearts of people (116:5-6).  The verses at the top of the folio are separated by two ayah markers shaped like gold disks with five blue dots on their peripheries.%Immediately below the last verse of the Qur'an appears a prayer in five lines praising God, the Prophet Muhammad, and all Prophets (or messengers, al-mursilin) of Islam.  The continuation of this terminal du'a (or formulaic prayer) continues in illuminated bands on the folio's verso (see 1-85-154.74 V and James 1992b: 178-9, cat. no. 43).  The prayer is beautifully calligraphed in large Ottoman naskh in alternating gold and blue ink.%This prayer is said upon completion  of the Qur'an (al-du'a ba'd khatim al-Qur'an), in which God is praised as the all-hearing (al-sami') and the all-knowing (al-'alim).  It continues the initial, non-illuminated five-line prayer on the folio's recto (1-85-154.74 R) and serves as an appropriate closing to the Holy Book.  In some cases, illuminated terminal prayers in rectangular bands such as this one precede a four-page treatise on how to practice divination (fal) using the letters of the Qur'an (see 1-84.154.42 R).%Although only one illuminated folio remains, it originally would have created a double-page illuminated du'a.  This layout is typical of Safavid Persian Qur'ans from the second half of the 16th century (see James 1992b: 178-9, cat. no. 43), as well as Ottoman Turkish Qur'ans from the same period.  For instance, a similar prayer appears immediately at the end of an Ottoman Turkish Qur'an dated 980/1573, now held in the Keir Collection in London, England (VII.49; Robinson 1976, 294).  Due to similarities in script (in which three lines of text in gold alternate with a line in white ink), composition, and illumination, the prayer fragment here probably dates from the second half of the 16th century as well.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Ottoman naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			13.8 (w) x 19.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.74		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000014	resourceid|ascs-200,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.200	cll|unknown	Safavid Qur'an (2:11-27)		c. 1550-1600		Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.4 (w) x 22.4 (h) cm%Verso: Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.2 (w) x 22.7 (h) cm%Script: rayhani%This fragment contains verses 11-21 from the second chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Baqarah (The Cow), which continues with verses 21-27 on the fragment's verso (1-88-154.139 V).  This surah appears immediately after the introductory chapter al-Fatihah  (The Opening) and, with a total of 286 verses, is the longest chapter in the Qur'an.  Its name derives from the parable of Moses and the cow mentioned in 2:67-71, in which it shows that people should not avoid obedience by presenting a variety of excuses.  This surah is early Medinan and stresses faith and personal trustworthiness.  The ten verses on this folio, in particular, warn of the consequences of religious insincerity and duplicity.%The fragment's calligraphy and illumination are typically Safavid Persian (1501-1722).  Many Qur'ans made for export in the southwestern city of Shiraz during the second half of the 16th century contain similar motifs (James 1992b: 150-55, cat. no. 39).  These include gold painted flowers and vines highlighted in red and dark purple in the folio's margins and calligraphy outlined in gold cloud bands containing orange and blue flowers.  The lavish decoration on the folio's margins sets it apart as one of the first folios of the Qur'an's second chapter.  Subsequent pages, such as the folio's verso, would not have included such lavish marginal designs.  It is also possible that this Qur'an's original opening chapter, al-Fatihah, and perhaps the first eleven verses of al-Baqarah were set in cartouches on a highly illuminated background (Beit Al Qur'an 1996, 97 and James 1992, 150).%The script utilized here is rayhani: It is one of the six styles (al-aqlam al-sittah) of cursive writing developed by the great calligrapher Ibn al-Bawwab (d. 423/1032).  It is most closely related to naskh and muhaqqaq, though thinner and smaller in scale.  It was used for texts where readability was a necessity, in particular  Qur'ans (Zakariya 1979, 23) or, in the Ottoman tradition, a variety of other pious works such as Du'a-namahs, or prayer manuals (Ozonder 2003, 164).%The recto verse markers consist of rosettes with six gold petals arranged in geometric shapes. The markers on the verso are not as abstract and geometric as those on the fragment's recto: here they appear as round gold rosettes with blue dots and red lines marking the center of each of the six petals. The verses also contain minute red signs in order to follow the rules of stopping ('alamat al-waqf) while reciting of the Qur'an.  On line 4 recto, for example, the letters alif-lam  (a-l) indicate that the reciter may not stop at the place indicated and the letter jim (j) gives the reciter the choice to stop or continue.  Another example is line 5 verso containing the three combined letters (s-l-y) sad-lam-ya (called wasl awla), which indicates that the reader may or may not stop at the place indicated, but the preference is not to stop.   Recitation symbols appear in red immediately above the Arabic verses: Some elongate the "a" sounds (the alif maddah), while others indicate when it is permissible to stop or not.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Rayhani			18.2 (w) x 33.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.139		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000015	resourceid|ascs-160,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.160	cll|unknown	Bismillah and Qur'anic verse (81:1-14)		14th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.5 (w) x 8.8 (h) cm%Script: rayhani%This Qur'anic fragment includes the bismillah and verses 1-14 of surah 81, entitled al-Takwir (The Folding up).  These verses constitute some of the most graphic descriptions in the Qur'an of the arrival of Doomsday, prompted by a reversal of natural phenomena.  For instance, the sun folds up, stars fall from the sky, mountains vanish, oceans boil over, and a blazing fire is kindled.  Souls are sorted out and men's deeds weighed so that "each soul may know what it has put forward." (81:14).%This calligraphic fragment shows a collector's interest in preserving only verses 81:1-14, as they represent a complete  picture of eschatological events.  Neither the chapter's title is preserved (despite the appearance of the top bismillah), nor are the surah's subsequent verses, which move on to a different topic.  The calligraphy in brown ink appears on its original laminated beige folio, with multicolored frames and blue-purple borders pasted rather clumsily (Selim 1979, 168).%The calligraphy is executed in rayhani script.  This writing style is most closely associated with the master calligrapher Yaqut al-Musta'simi (d. 1298) and Qur'ans produced in Iran during the 13th and 14th centuries.  It is related to other cursive styles, in particular naskh and muhaqqaq.  Unlike these latter two scripts, its sublinear letters display less depth of curve below the line, are more angular, and point to the left, thus giving the script more momentum (Lings and Safadi 1976, 42).  The diacritical marks-- i.e. the vowels, quiet stops (sukun), and orthographic signs such as the doubling of letters (tashdid), etc-- always are executed with a finer pen than the characters of the script (Safadi 1979, 72).  As seen in this fragment, the diacritical marks are much smaller, thinner, and in a lighter brown color, thus emphasizing the letters on the main line of script and alleviating the interlinear spaces.%The verses are separated by ayah markers constructed of simple gold circles outlined in dark brown ink.  Above the verses appear a variety of recitation marks (signs for stops, or 'alamat al-waqf) mostly in red ink. Other marks in sloppy blue ink appear on the third line to elongate the "a" sound or add the last letter "s" to the truncated word "souls" (al-nufus).  These added marks show that the fragment was utilized throughout the centuries.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Rayhani			22.2 (w) x 14.5 (w) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.131		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000016	resourceid|ascs-161,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.161	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses (107-9, 110-112)		15th century		Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.4 (w) x 28.9 (h) cm%Verso: Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.5 (w) x 29.3 (h) cm%Script: thuluth (headings) and masahif (verses)%This Qur'anic fragment's recto includes three short surahs (107-109) entitled al-Ma'un (The Assistance), al-Kawthar (The Abundance), and al-Kafirun (The Unbelievers).  The last chapters of the Qur'an tend to be Meccan and quite short, thus several can fit onto one page.  They also tend to deal with sincerity in devotion and true worship, and warn of persecuting men of a different faith.  The faithful should state: "To you be your religion, and to me my own" (109:6).%These chapters' headings are calligraphed in thuluth script.  The topmost surah heading for al-Ma'un is executed in white ink, rather than gold outlined in black, and states that it is Meccan and consists in seven verses.  Like the other headings, it appears above gold flower and vine interlacings on a red and blue background.  Verse markers consist of rosettes (shamsah) in gold with red centers, with twelve petals outlined in black and blue & red dots punctuating the perimeter.  The text's rectangular gold and blue border is a bit faded (Selim 1979, 153).%The verso of this Qur'anic fragment includes some of the penultimate chapters of the Qur'an (110-112), i.e., al-Nasr (The Victory), al-Masad (The Plaited Rope), and al-Ikhlas (The Purity of Faith).  It continues the preceding surahs on the fragment's recto (see 1-87-154.133 R).  These surahs discuss victory as God-given, cruelty as self-damaging, and God as the single, everlasting being: "Say He is God, the One and Only, Allah the Eternal, Absolute, He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him." (112:1-4).%The last chapters of the Qur'an are brief and thus several can fit unto one page.  For instance, surat al-Ikhlas (112) appears in the lowermost portion of the folio.  The heading for this particular surah is executed in large thuluth with white ink, and states that it consists of four verses and was revealed in Mecca.  As with the other two chapter headings above, the title appears on a bed of gold flower and vine interlacings on a red and blue background.  The other two headings are written in gold and outlined in black.%The calligraphy used for the verses is masahif, a cursive script that is a smaller and less stiff version than muhaqqaq.  Its name, which means "codices"or "volumes," reflects its common use for copying the Qur'an. Masahif and other bold cursive scripts such as naskh and muhaqqaq are typical of Qur'ans produced in Egypt during the 14th-15th centuries (James 1988: 16-21).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Thuluth%Local|Masahif%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			31.5 (w) x 40.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.133		intldl/ascs			14000000	text	tx	
ascs000017	resourceid|ascs-162,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.162	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses (4: 94-100, 100-105)		12th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 22 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 22.3 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm%Script: eastern Kufi%This Qur'anic fragment contains verses  94-100 of the fourth chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nisa' (The Women).  The surah addresses the social problems faced by the Muslim community and the necessity to establish law and order through regulated communal practice.  It deals largely with women, orphans, inheritance, marriage, and family rights.  These particular verses (94-100) recommend leaving places hostile to Islam and praise believers who keep their faith when abroad as stated in the Qur'an: " He who forsakes his home in the cause of God finds in the earth many a refuge, wide and spacious.  Should he die a refugee from home, for God and Muhammad his reward becomes due." (4:100).%The verso of this fragment includes verses 100-105 from the fourth chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nisa' (The Women).  These verses continue those (94-100) found on its recto (see 1-87-154.134 R). Verses 100-105 discuss religious duties during periods of war and suggest that prayer should, at these times, be carried out with vigilance as stated in the Qur'an: "And let the other party come up and let them pray with you, taking all precautions and bearing arms." (4:102).%These verses are executed on brown paper in a script known as eastern Kufi.  During the 10th-13th centuries, Kufi script underwent some variations in eastern Islamic lands (i.e. Iraq and Persia) that set it apart from its western equivalents (see AL-18).  Many of the letters are drawn out at the vertical, bear sharpened angles, and slightly incline, thus giving this script the name "bent  Kufi."  The elongation of the letters occurred at the same time as Qur'ans began to be produced in vertical format (rather than oblong, as used for the early and some western Kufi  Qur'ans) and the writing surface changed from vellum to paper (Lings and Safadi 1976, 32).  Qur'ans in eastern Kufi script such as this fragment typically are executed on medium brown paper.%Many Qur'ans written in eastern Kufi, such as this example,  bear the complete vowelling system invented by al-Khalil b. Ahmad (Zakariya 1979, 19), which set the standard for Arabic orthography for the centuries to come.  Unlike earlier Kufi  Qur'ans, diagonal slashes representing vowels begin to replace round dots.  On this folio, verse markers are almost unnoticeable: they consist of small red circles with a plain center and appear as if added at a later date (as seen in the middle of line four).  Large gold verse markers, however, are also used in this Qur'an (see 1-87-154.134 V).  At the center of the left margin appears a scalloped virgule painted in yellow, outlined in brown ink, and provided with several blue dots to mark the section (juz') of the text.  On the verso, diacritical marks appear as diagonals executed in dark brown ink, while most of the verse markers consist of plain red circles perhaps added at a later date.  Some recitation markers and signs for stops ('alamat al-waqf) are also added in red ink.  One large ayah marker appears in the middle of the fourth line: it consists of a scalloped roundel executed in brown ink with a central ornamental design in yellow and black (Selim 1979, 160).  Unlike the red circular verse markers, this roundel appears to be original to the manuscript and separates verse 101 from 102.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Eastern kufi			27 (w) x 32.7 (w) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.134		intldl/ascs			11000000	text	tx	
ascs000018	resourceid|ascs-163,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.163	cll|unknown	Anonymous Arabic and Persian poetic verses		unknown		Dimensions of Written Surface: (including outside panels) 21.3 (w) x 30 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment contains an Arabic poem in eight verses in the center panel and Persian poetical verses contained in small rectangular registers arranged around the central panel and pasted above a light blue background. The Arabic poem reads as follows (Selim 1979, 165):%If you forgive me / Your forgiveness will save me / Otherwise I am damned / By the perishing sin.%My God, through the intercession / Of the Hashimite Prophet / And his holy family, / Resurrect me according to  / The religion of Muhammad / In purity and humility.%Do not deprive me, / My God and Lord, / Of his great intercession, / For he is the only intercessor.%The Arabic poem stresses Muhammad's ability to provide intercession (shafa'ah) for his community on the Day of Judgement, a kind of praise or request directed towards the Prophet in a number of other calligraphic panels meant either for public display (Derman 2002: 226-27) or included in albums of calligraphies.%The Arabic and Persian verses are executed in nasta'liq script, also known  as ta'liq (in Turkey) and Farsi (in Arab lands).  The term nasta'liq combines the scripts naskh (cursive) and ta'liq (hanging), a grouping of two scripts believed to have been invented by the 14th-century Persian calligrapher Mir 'Ali Tabrizi (Zakariya 1979, 30).  It is a script that has been practiced from that time until today, so it is impossible to establish with certainty the date of this fragment. Nevertheless, this calligraphic fragment may have been produced in Persia (Iran) during the 16th century.%The center sheet of calligraphy consists of brown paper sprinkled with fine gold dust and contains five rough squares of gold leaf.  The calligraphy panels are separated by gold lines outlined in black, forming rectangular frames for the Arabic verses.  Around the central panel appears a pink border with floral designs executed in gold, followed by a light blue border with the twenty-eight panels of Persian verses interlaced with gold vine designs.  These calligraphic sheets are all glued onto a tan laminated paper decorated with gold-painted flowers, birds, and plants.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			27.5 (w) x 38.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.135		intldl/ascs			0000	text	tx	
ascs000019	resourceid|ascs-149,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.149	cll|'Aliriza	al-Fatihah		1241/1825		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.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			23.5 (w) x 36 (w) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.136		intldl/ascs			18250000	text	tx	
ascs000020	resourceid|ascs-192,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.192	cll|unknown	Qur'an carpet page		14th century		Dimensions of illumination: 14.9 (w) x 14.3 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%This folio contains an  opening carpet page of a Qur'an.  It is the first of five folios belonging to a dispersed Qur'an manuscript now held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  The other four folios are: 1-88-154.168 R and V, and 1-88-154.8b R and V.  Together with 1-89-154.168 R, this folio constitutes the double-page illuminated frontispiece of a beautiful, albeit damaged, 14th-century Mamluk Qur'an.%This folio contains verses 76-78 of the 56th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Waqi'ah (The Inevitable), contained in the top and bottom rectangular panels of the double-page illuminated frontispiece.  Folio 1-89-154.168 R continues the inscription with verses 56:79-80.  All four verses introduce the Qur'an as a blessed and precious book revealed by God, which must be touched only by those who are pure both physically and psychologically.  The verses go as follows:%And that is indeed a mighty urging if you but knew, / That this is indeed a Glorious Qur'an / In a Well-Guarded Book, / Which none shall touch but those who are clean: / A revelation from the Lord of the Worlds%All or parts of these five verses appear on decorative carpet pages intended to begin the Qur'an or to separate various parts (sing. juz', pl. ajza') of the Holy Book.  They remind the reader of the sacred character of the Qur'an, while providing an artistic, visual break from the text per se.  For a similar use of these verses on a carpet page dividing a juz', see 1-87-154.151 R.%The decorative patterns and palette of this carpet page are typical of 14th-century Mamluk Qur'ans made in Egypt (see Lings 2004, pls. 40 and 124; and Lings and Safadi 1976: no. 75 and pl. IX).  In this case, the centerpiece consists of a hexagon prolonged to form alternating gold and blue polygons and four eight-pointed stars in each corner of the rectangular frame.  The lines creating the forms, just like the inscriptions, are executed in white ink, although the white ink has oxidized on the second carpet page (see 1-89-154.168 R).  The polygons alternate between gold designs on a blue ground and a blue design on a gold ground, while the eight-pointed stars contain palmette and bulb-like gold motifs on a blue ground.  Around the edge of the panel, the border consists of interlacing gold zigzags that end in a marginal anse that is almost entirely lost today.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts			23.5 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.8a		intldl/ascs			1300000	text	tx	
ascs000021	resourceid|ascs-125,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.125	cll|unknown	al-Baqarah (The cow)		11th-13th centuries		Script: early naskh%Below an illuminated rectangular panel, this folio includes part of the last verse of the Qur'an's first chapter entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening), which appears on another folio in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-85-154.78b V).  Below the last line of al-Fatihah appears the title, executed in gold and outlined in black, of the Qur'an's second chapter entitled al-Baqarah (The Cow).  As the heading states, this chapter consists of 287 verses.  After the chapter heading follow an initial bismillah, the mysterious letters alif and mim (a-m), and the first verse: "This is the Book; without a doubt, in it is guidance for those who fear God." Part of the chapter's verse begins on this folio and continues on the fragment's verso (see 1-85-154.78a V).%The verses contained on the verso of this fragment warn those who feign belief in God, as they only deceive themselves.  As verses 6-7 state: " As to those who reject faith, it is the same to them whether you warn them or not.  They will not believe.  God has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing.  On their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they incur."%Executed in early naskh script on vellum, this fragmentary Qur'an dates probably from the 11th-13th century and may have been produced in Iraq or Syria (Lings and Safadi :44-45, no. 55).  It foreshadows the development of cursive script under the Mamluks, who ruled in Egypt and Syria during the 14th and 15th centuries (see Freer Gallery 32.2 and 48.9).  The decorative panels with braided motifs executed in gold paint include finials jetting out into the left margin.  These finials resemble a "handle" (ansa), such as the one provided as a decorative motif on the Qur'an's introductory ornamental page (1-85-154.78b R).%The text  is fully vocalized in black ink.  Verse markers consist of eight-petalled rosettes filled with gold paint and with red circles dotting their perimeters.  This particular folio suffers from worm holes and ink stains on the left vertical border.%This folio has been published in  Selim 1979, 147 (lower).	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Early naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy			12.2 (w) x 15.9 (w) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.78a		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000022	resourceid|ascs-131,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.131	cll|unknown	Illuminated frontispiece		1500-50		This illuminated frontispiece is one of two pages that would have formed the opening double-page composition of a manuscript.  It is possible that it belonged to a Qur'an. The title would have appeared in the top and bottom rectangular panels.  The central medallion may have contained the beginning of the first chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening).  It also may have served as a space for the work's dedication to a patron or blessings upon its owner.%The illumination found here is typical of Qur'an frontispieces made in Herat (modern-day Afghanistan) ca. 1500-1550 (see James 1992b: 116-7, cat. no. 30).  The central gold medallion and rectangular panels are set in polychrome scrolls with white and orange flowers on a blue background.  These panels are framed by an outer border composed of black cartouches alternating with gold quatrefoils on a red background.  The remaining outer space is decorated with overlapping blue and gold lappets.%Illuminators during the first half of the 16th century experimented with the double-page illuminated frontispiece.  For example, the artist Shaykhzadah began using black backgrounds and invented new arabesque or scrollwork motifs.  These motifs not only appeared in frontispieces, but were used as architectural ornamentation in manuscript paintings (Soudavar 1992: 193, 73c).  Such decorative connections highlight the close relationship between illuminators and painters, who collaborated in the production of illuminated and illustrated manuscripts.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			23.7 (w) x 38.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.87		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000023	resourceid|ascs-172,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.172	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses (56:77-9) on carpet page		14th-15th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11.2 (w) x 16.8 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 14 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%As noted in the red rectangular registers located at the top and bottom of this inscribed panel, this folio introduces the 26th  part (juz') of the Qur'an (Selim 1979, 161).  The central space includes an inscription containing verses 77-79 of Chapter 56 entitled Surat al-Waqi'ah (The Inevitable).  These verses typically open the Qur'an as included on a double page illuminated frontispiece (see 1-88-154.8a and 1-89-154.168 R), although they may appear in decorated pages used to separate the parts (ajza') of the Qur'an.  The verses here read:%That this is indeed a Glorious Qur'an / In a Well-Guarded Book, / Which none shall touch but those who are clean.%The title of the chapter that appears at the top is executed in gold and outlined in black ink.  It specifies that this particular surah contains 35 verses, while the fragment's recto (see 1-87-154.151 R) introduces the 26th section (juz'), of which it constitutes the first chapter.  Initiated by a bismillah and the mystery letters ha-mim, (h-m) verses 2-3 read:%"The revelation of the Book is from God, the Glorious, the Wise.  We did not create the heavens and earth, and all between them, but for just ends".%The fragment's verso (see 1-87-154.151 V) includes verses 1-3 of Chapter 46 of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Ahqaf (The Winding Sand Tracts).  The script of these pages is thuluth, a cursive script typical of the Mamluk period (14th-15th centuries) in Egypt.  The background of spiral scrollwork used on this decorative page is also characteristic of Qur'ans of this period (Lings and Safadi 1976: 52-33, no. 73).%This chapter is the 7th and last of the ha-mim series (chapters 40-46).  It argues that all Creation has a divine purpose behind it.  For this reason, the righteous must wait with patience, as Truth and Revelation will be vindicated.  The letters ha-mim comprise the mystery or abbreviated letters (al-muqatta'at) appearing singly or in combination at the beginning of certain chapters in the Qur'an.  Many scholars of mystical inclination have tried to attach various esoteric meanings to these letters, searching in them deeper axiomatic truths about God and the world.%The juz' (section) marker forms an artistic break in the Qur'an.  The inscriptions at the top and bottom are executed in gold ink into a black calligraphic outline inscribed on the cream-colored page.  These are placed on a red background with arabesques of blue and green leaves.  The inscription on the center panel also emerges through an extractive technique.  The letters are formed by the cream-colored page showing from below the blue background, also decorated with concentric vines and leaves.%Other extractive calligraphic techniques include procedures of paper cutting or dcoupage (Safwat 1996, 194), in which letter forms are cut out from a colored paper and pasted onto a differently-colored ground (see 1-87-154.152).  In both procedures, the basic principle consists in letting the background paper create the internal structure of the letters themselves.  This demanding and precise work shows the various ways in which calligraphers could show their mastery of calligraphy through extractive, rather than additive, methods.	Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			20 (w) x 30.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.151		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000024	resourceid|ascs-173,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.173	cll|Sultan 'Ali al-Mashhadi	Divan of Sultan Husayn Mirza		897/1492		Dimensions of Written Surface: 7 (w) x 12.9 (h) cm%Script: dcoupage nasta' liq%This folio includes ten lines of poetry from a divan (compendium of poems) written in Chagatay Turkish by the last Timurid ruler, Sultan Husayn Mirza (1438-1506).  Executed in nasta'liq script through a process of dcoupage, the fragment belongs to a now dispersed manuscript possibly calligraphed by Sultan 'Ali al-Mashhadi ca. 1490 (Lentz and Lowry 1989: 262-71, cat. nos. 148-49; and MTIA 2002: 218-19).  Two other copies of Sultan Husayn's divan dated 1485 and 1492 are held in Paris (BnF Suppl. Turc 993) and Istanbul (TSK E. H. 1636).%Sultan Husayn Mirza b. Mansur b. Bayqara was ruler of Khurasan, based in its capital city of Herat, from 1469 to his death in 1506.  The city was an important cultural center, attracting poets in Turkish like Nava'i and in Persian like Jami, historians such as Mirkhwand, artists like Bihzad, and calligraphers like Sultan 'Ali al-Mashhadi.  Many poetical works were produced both in Chagatay Turkish and Persian at this time.  The ruler himself composed poetry using the pen name (makhlas) Husayni.  His Chagatay Turkish poems (ghazals in ramal meter) were compiled into a collection called the Divan-i Husayni.  The poems were published by I.H. Ertaylan (Divan-i Sultan Huseyn Mirza Baykara Huseyn [Istanbul, 1947]) and selections of the divan were made available more recenty by K. Eraslan (Huseyn-i Baykara Dvani'ndan Secmeler [Ankara, 1987]).%This folio's letters are not written in ink, but have been cut out very skillfully from a blue paper pasted onto a cream-colored background provided with a marginal frame decorated with gold sprinkles on a blue ground.  This dcoupage technique is known as qit'a, or literally  a cutting out, and artists specializing in this technique were called qati'an (cutters).  It appears that dcoupage calligraphy became popular around the last quarter of the 15th century, as Qadi Ahmad's treatise of 1015/1606 on the subject makes clear (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 17 and 174-94).%Although the technique of dcoupage emerges during the second half of the 15th century, it became a popular tool for the making of Ottoman kalips (calligraphic perforated sheets) during the 16th-18th centuries (Safwat 1996: 142-43 and 194).  Other extractive calligraphic techniques also include painting a colored background and letting the folio become the internal coloring of the letters themselves (see 1-87-154.151 R).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Dcoupage nasta' liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			12.9 (w) x 17.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.152		intldl/ascs			14920000	text	tx	
ascs000025	resourceid|ascs-219,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.219	cll|unknown	al-Baydawi's "Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil" (with frontispiece)		14th-15th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11.4 (w) x 18.3 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 11.7 (w) x 19.2 (h) cm%Script: Recto: naskh%Script: Verso: naskh and riq'ah%This folio contains the illuminated frontispiece and title from a manuscript of al-Baydawi's "Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil" (The Lights of Revelation and the Secrets of Interpretation).  This particular work consists of a very popular Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir) composed by the thirteenth-century scholar al-Baydawi.  The title of the text, "Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil", appears in the top panel of the frontispiece.  It is written in white ink and the letters are drawn out at the vertical to fit into the shape of the horizontal register.  The white letters are outlined in black ink and emerge from a gold background decorated with blue and white dots.%The center panel contains a variety of polygonal shapes interlacing to form a carpet page with a palette dominated by brown, gold, and blue hues.  The centerpiece consists of an octagonal panel containing the author's names and titles written in white ink on a gold background containing black vine-like designs.  Although the panel's calligraphy is now barely legible, some of al-Baydawi's titles are legible: these include al-shaykh (the theologian), al-'adil (the just), and al-qadi (the jurist).  These epithets are appropriate for al-Baydawi as he was a respected and prolific expert on Qur'anic exegesis and Islamic law, jurisprudence, and theology.%The panel's decoration of alternating brown and blue polygons with overlaid white palmettes and arabesques appear to radiate from the central octagon.  The effect is one that approaches intarsia, in which a variety of wooden panels are inlaid and put together like mosaic work.  These particular patterns, as well as the gold-blue hues, characterize illuminated frontispieces that appear at the beginning of Mamluk Qur'ans and other texts produced in Egypt during the 14th and 15th centuries (Lings and Safadi 1976: 55, no. 75 and pl. IX).  However, the roughness of the decoration's and calligraphy's execution on the title page (and the folio's verso) suggests that this particular manuscript was not a royal commission.%The left margin contains a decorative roundel with a quatrefoil on a gold circle, framed by a blue perimeter, and a now illegible owner's seal impression appears at the top left corner.%The verso of this folio contains the beginning of the work.  After an initial bismillah, the commentary begins with a short opening (muqaddimah), in which the author praises the values of interpreting the verses of the Qur'an, the "Mother Book (Umm al-Kitab) of all theologica ."  He also argues that Qur'anic exegesis (al-tafsir) remains at the head of all sciences (ra'is al-'ulum al-diniyah).  The author then gives the name of his work in the last sentence of his introduction, before launching into the explanation of al-Fatihah (The Opening), the first chapter of the Qur'an (Meccan, 7 ayat).  Al-Baydawi calls this particular chapter "Mother of the Qur'an" (Umm al-Qur'an), because it introduces the Holy Book.  It is the essential chapter because it provides mercy (hamd), praise (shukr), prayer (du'a), and instruction (al-ta'lim).  It also brings intercession (al-shafa'a) for he who recites it.  Then the exegesis proceeds as protocol dictates, by quoting each verse of the Qur'an and explaining it in almost word-for-word detail.%The text itself is executed in rather rough naskh script in black ink.  Sentences are separated by red upturned virgules, and many a posteriori notes have been added to the main text.  Here, inserted red numbers appear in superscript and concord with extensive marginal glosses (hawash) calligraphed in rather rough and water-stained riq'ah script.  These glosses provide a kind of critical apparatus for understanding al-Baydawi's text.  They appear to comprise an individual reader's notes rather than a complete or professional super commentary on the text (of which there exist at least eighty-three).%For further information on al-Baydawi and his works, see: J. Robson, "al-Baydawi" Encyclopedia of Islam, 2nd ed., vol. 1, 1129; and C. Brockelmann, Geschichte der Arabischen Literatur (Leiden, 1943-9) I, 530f and Supplementband (Leiden, 1937-42), 738 et seq.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Riq'ah%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Naskh			15.2 (w) x 25 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.9		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000026	resourceid|ascs-198,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.198	cll|'Ali Ra'if Efendi	Ijazah (diploma)		1206/1791		Dimensions of Sheet: 28 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: thuluth and naskh%This ijazah, or diploma of competency in Arabic calligraphy, was written by  'Ali Ra'if Efendi in 1206/1791.  The top and middle panels contain a Saying (Hadith) attributed to the Prophet Muhammad.  It reads:%Secret charity quenches the wrath of the Lord. / The best of you is the best for his family. / The best of the followers is Uways.%In the two lowermost panels appear the signed approvals of two master calligraphers, Mustafa al-Halimi and Husayn Hamid (Selim 1979, 173), dated 1206/1791.  Each section of writing appears on a separate piece of differently colored paper, illuminated with gold and dimpled with a stylus for reflection.%The official function of the ijazah consists in giving a student the authority to sign his own calligraphic works with expressions such as katabahu (written by) and hararahu (composed by), thus allowing him to become independent and take on pupils of his own.  In order to receive the diploma, the student had to transcribe or copy (taqlid) several lines of calligraphy that had to be approved by one or more co-signatory master calligraphers (Safwat 1996, 40).  In some cases, the ijazah may include the calligrapher's chain of teachers (silsilah or sanad) reaching all the way back to the Prophet Muhammad himself (Gacek 1989: 44-55).  In the Ottoman tradition especially, the calligraphic diploma (icazetname) was a well established practice linking, in an almost genealogical fashion, a  student (talabah) to his teacher (hoca).%For further information on ijazah practices, see F. Droche, "Matres et disciples: la transmision de la culture calligraphique dans le monde musulman," Revue du Monde Musulman et de la Mditerrane 75-6 (1996): 81-90 and U. Derman, "Turk yazi san'atinda icazetnameler ve teklid yazilar," VII. Turk Tarih Kongresi (Ankara, 1973): 716-28.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Thuluth			28 (w) x 21 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.129		intldl/ascs			17910000	text	tx	
ascs000027	resourceid|ascs-209,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.209	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		15th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 20.7 (h) x 36.2 (w) cm%Script: Muhaqqaq%This calligraphic fragment includes two separate horizontal panels cut out and pasted onto a cardboard backing.  The upper band contains verse 86 of the 3rd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Al  'Imran  (The Family of   'Imran) and the lower band includes verse 89 of the same chapter.  The lower band does not contain Q 24:5 (as per  Selim 1979, 170), although Q 24:5 does resemble closely Q 3:89.  The upper band belongs to a surah that asks Muslims to hold together in harmony and friendship, and reads:%[How will God guide those who reject faith] after they accepted it and bore witness that the Messenger was true? (3:86)%The lower band warns of the punishment of men who launch a false charge of adultery against chaste women, unless they seek forgiveness from God:%Unless they repent thereafter and mend [their conduct, for God is Forgiving and Merciful]. (3:89)%The ayah marker in the lower band consists of a gold roundel composed of concentric circles outlined in dark brown ink.  Three words (min ba'd dhalika, "thereafter") were omitted from the original text and have been added in smaller script immediately above the main line of text.  The text on each panel's verso can be seen through the paper.%These two fragments, pasted together onto a single sheet, certainly come from the same Qur'an --indeed the same portion of the book (ca. verses 86-89) of Surat Al  'Imran--executed in a fine muhaqqaq script.  Theses verses survive on another fragment in the Library of Congress (1-89-154.172 R &V).  Judging from the height (10 cm) of each panel containing a single line of text, the original manuscript must have been of a large size (perhaps ca. 50 cm in height at 5 lines of text/page).%In its simplicity and grandeur, it recalls the famous "Baysunghur" Qur'an made either in Herat or Samarqand ca. 1400 A.D., which contained gigantic folios measuring 177 x 101 cm with writing only on their rectos (James 1992b: 18-23 and cat. no. 2).  Although a fraction of the latter's size and with writing on its verso, this fragment achieves a dignity that harks back to the "Baysunghur" Qur'an.  For this reason, these Qur'anic fragments may have been executed during the early 15th century, perhaps in Persia or Central Asia.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Muhaqqaq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			20.7 (h) x 36.2 (w) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.34		intldl/ascs			14000000	text	tx	
ascs000028	resourceid|ascs-205,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.205	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		16th17th centuries		Script: naskh%This Qur'anic fragment includes verses from three different chapters in the Qur'an.  On the right side, the fragment contains the first 24 verses of the 56th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Waqi'ah (The Inevitable).  The surah's heading appears at the very top of the right folio, written in white ink on a gold ground and framed by a horizontal cartouche decorated with vine motifs on a blue or red background.  Below the frame appears a simple horizontal band of light blue floral vines and minuscule red dots contained in a gold-outlined panel.  The heading specifies that al-Waqi'ah consists of 96 verses and belongs to the Meccan period.  These first few verses, much like the rest of the surah, are devoted to describing the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and the Hereafter.  In Paradise, the faithful will recline on couches and will be served a variety of foods and drinks (Q 56: 15-21).%On the top of the left side of this fragment appears the last verses (38-62) of the 53rd chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Najm (The Star).  On the fifth line appears a red marginal gloss providing an alternate pronunciation for one of the words (al-awlah, "the first") in the text.  At the very end of Surat al-Najm at the bottom of the folio appears a beautifully executed marginal roundel.  It contains the word sajdah (prostration) written in gold on a blue ground, thus marking the place for prayer before reading the next surah.%At the very bottom of the left folio appears the heading of the next chapter (54), i.e,. Surat al-Qamar (The Moon), followed by an initial bismillah.  The heading is executed much like the heading of Surat al-Waqi'ah on the right side of the fragment, and specifies that it consists of 55 verses revealed in Mecca.  However, unlike the heading on the left, this illuminated heading omits a subsequent decorative band of blue floral designs.  The continuation of Surat al-Qamar appears on the fragment's verso (1-88-154.167 V, left).%The verso of this  Qur'anic fragment includes verses from two different chapters in the Qur'an.  On the right side appear verses 1-20 of the 54th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Qamar (The Moon).  These verses continue the  surah's heading and initial bismillah as found on the right side of the fragment's recto (see 1-88-154.167 R).  Surat al-Qamar is the fifth in a series of chapters dealing with the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter.  It warns men not to reject God's Message, as did many others.  In the left margin appear corrections and comments executed in red ink: for example, the spelling of one word (khushsh'an, "gathering") has been corrected in the margin.  At the center of the right margin appears a round section (juz') marker with the word "eight" (thaman) written in gold on a blue ground.%On the left side of this folio appear the last verses (55-78) of the 55th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Rahman (The Most Gracious).  These immediately precede the beginning of the 56th chapter of the Qur'an, entitled al-Waqi'ah (The Inevitable), located on the right side of the fragment's recto (see 1-88-154.167 R). Surat al-Rahman is the 6th chapter of a series of surahs dealing with the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter.  It is highly poetic and repeats the question "Then which of the favors of your God will you deny?" 31 times throughout its verses, thus giving the text an almost lyrical feeling.  In the left margin appears the same gold and blue round juz' marker as found in the right margin of the same folio.  Finally, the last verse (78) of the chapter includes the expression "Blessed be the name of your Lord" (tabaraka ismu rabbika) written in gold ink.  It is not unusual to find the name of God (Allah) or his epithets and synonyms (Rabb) picked out in gold ink.%When folded in half, this fragment yields continuous verses ranging from Q 53:38 to Q 54:20 and Q 55:55 to Q 56:24.  Other folios folded in half inside this particular folio would have contained the now missing verses Q 54:21 to Q 55:54.%The script of the text is executed in a black Persian naskh, while the headings are executed in a larger white thuluth on the fragment's recto (1-88-154.167 R).  Both cursive scripts were used in Qur'ans made in Iran during the 16th and 17th centuries (James and Safadi 1976: 79-85), although nasta'liq was the preferred script for a variety of other calligraphic exercises.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			63.6 (w) x 41 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.167		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000029	resourceid|ascs-221,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.221	cll|unknown	Qur'an carpet page; al-Fatihah		14th century		Recto: Dimensions of illumination: 14.4 (w) x 14.2 (h) cm%Verso: Dimensions of Written Surface: 5.7 (w) x 6.1 (h) cm%Script: Recto: thuluth%Script: Verso: naskh%This folio contains a Qur'an opening carpet page.  It is the second of five folios belonging to a dispersed Qur'an manuscript now held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  The other four folios are: 1-88-154.168 V, 1-88-154.8a, 1-88-154.8b R, and 1-88-154.8b V.  Together with 1-88-154.8a, this folio constitutes the double-page illuminated frontispiece of a beautiful, albeit damaged, 14th-century Mamluk Qur'an.%This folio contains the continuation of verses 76-80 of the 56th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Waqi'ah (The Inevitable), contained in the top and bottom rectangular panels of the double-page illuminated frontispiece.  Folio 1-88-154.8a contains verses 56:76-78 and this folio continues with verses 56:79-80.  All four verses introduce the Qur'an as a blessed and precious book revealed by God, which must be touched only by those who are pure both physically and psychologically.  The verses go as follows:%And that is indeed a mighty urging if you but knew, / That this is indeed a Glorious Qur'an / In a Well-Guarded Book, / Which none shall touch but those who are clean: / A revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.%All or parts of these five verses appear on decorative carpet pages intended to begin the Qur'an or to separate various parts (sing. juz', pl. ajza') of the Holy Book.  They remind the reader of the sacred character of the Qur'an, while providing an artistic, visual break from the text per se.  For a similar use of these verses on a carpet page dividing a juz', see 1-87-154.151 R.%The decorative patterns and palette of this carpet page are typical of 14th-century Mamluk Qur'ans made in Egypt (see Lings 2004, pls. 40 and 124; and Lings and Safadi 1976: no. 75 and pl. IX).  In this case, the centerpiece consists of a hexagon prolonged to form alternating gold and blue polygons and four eight-pointed stars in each corner of the rectangular frame.  Although now oxidized and thus appearing gray in color, the lines creating the forms were executed with white ink (see 1-88-154.8a).  The polygons alternate between gold designs on a blue ground and  blue designs on a gold ground, while the eight-pointed stars contain palmette and bulb-like gold motifs on a blue ground.  Around the edge of the panel, the border consists of interlacing gold zigzags that end in a marginal anse, also containing gold interlacing floral vines on a blue background.%The verso of this folio contains the first chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening).  It is the third of five folios belonging to a dispersed Qur'an manuscript now held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  The other four folios are: 1-88-154.168 R, 1-88-154.8a, 1-88-154.8b R, and 1-88-154.8b V.%In the top and bottom blue rectangular registers decorated with interlacing gold vine motifs appears the title of the surah in now oxidized white ink.  This particular heading specifies that the Fatihah was revealed in Medina and includes seven verses, [29] words, and 120 letters.  The number of words (29), which would have appeared in the lower right corner of the folio, unfortunately is now missing.  The interest in counting the total number ayahs (verses), words, and letters in various chapters and throughout the Qur'an not only provides an indexical apparatus for the Holy Book, but also may serve various practices concerned with letter mysticism or the esoteric sciences of letters ('ilm al-huruf).%The script in the main text frame is naskh, a cursive style preferred in Qur'ans made in Cairo during the 14th and 15th centuries.  This particular naskh contains more angular strokes used for the letters qaf  (q) and 'ayn (glottal stop)  and the loops of the 'ayns are filled in with black ink.  The main text, executed in six lines and provided with ayah markers in the shape of six-petalled gold flowers, is outlined in cloud cartouches and set on a background decorated with medium brown interlacing scrolls containing now worn yellow and blue leaves.  Below the scrollwork appear a number of parallel vertical striations, creating a delicate striped pattern as the text's backdrop.  Both the scrollwork and striations can be found in a number of Mamluk Qur'ans made in Egypt during the first half of the 14th century (see Lings 2004, pl. 117; Lings and Safadi 1976: 52-53; and James 1988, cat. no. 5).  Some Qur'ans of the period also place the text in cloud cartouches on a ground hatched in red (James 1992b: 58-61, cat. no. 13).%This particular folio was published in Library of Congress (2001): 20-21.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Thuluth			23.4 (w) x 28.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.168		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000030	resourceid|ascs-223,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.223	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		14th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 16.5 (w) x 29 (h) cm%Script: Tawqi' and Persian naskh%This Qur'anic fragment includes verses 85-88 of the 3rd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Al 'Imran (The Family of  'Imran).  The continuation of these verses appears on the fragment's verso (1-89-154.172 V).  In this particular surah, all people are invited to accept Islam, while Muslims in particular are encouraged to seek friendship and security within their communities.  Verse 86 asks the question:%And how will God guide those who reject faith / After they accepted it and bore witness / That the Messenger was true / And that clear signs had come to them? / God does not guide unjust people.%Between each horizontal line of Arabic text appear diagonal word-by-word translations into Persian. Unlike similar interlinear Qur'ans that tend to include a Persian translation in red ink (James 1992a: 56-7, cat. no. 10), this particular fragment makes no color differentiation between the Arabic original and its Persian rendition immediately below.%The verses on the verso continue those found on the fragment's recto.   Verse 89, which also appears cut out and preserved on another calligraphic panel in the Library of Congress (1-88-154.34, lower horizontal) encourages seeking forgiveness from God:%Unless they repent thereafter and mend their conduct, / for God is Forgiving and Merciful.%This fragment follows the pattern set by Persian Qur'ans produced during the Ilkhanid period (see 1-84-154.27c R & V).  It thus can be suggested that this Qur'an dates from the 14th century and was probably made in Iran.  Unlike this fragment, later interlinear Persian Qur'ans tend to translate the Arabic text continuously (not word-by-word) in a horizontal (not diagonal) written space (see 1-85-154.67 R & V).%In this fragment, the script used for the Arabic text is tawqi' while the Persian translations are written in a Persian naskh.  Tawqi' is similar to thuluth but smaller and with systematic assimilations between letters ordinarily not joined.  For example, line four (verse 90) includes the word al-dalun ("those who have gone astray") with the alif and lam (a and l) attached by a playful upturned loop.%In the middle of the right margin appears a section (juz') marker made of a gold central flower, a blue concentric circle, and a circle of radiating gold lines.  In the upper left margin appears a (juz') marker shaped like a hanging lamp.  It contains a palmette motif outlined in dark brown ink on a gold ground.   The verse markers in the text consist of gold flowers with red dots between each petal.  All diacritical marks are executed in black ink except for the sukun (showing lack of a vowel), which sometimes appears as a small hollow red circle.	Local|Tawqi'%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Persian naskh%Local|Islamic calligraphy			22 (w) x 33.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.172		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000031	resourceid|ascs-235,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.235	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		11th-13th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 20.2 (w) x 10.7 (h) cm%Script: plaited eastern Kufi and Persian naskh%This fragment includes on its recto the last verse (110) of the 18th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Kahf (The Cave).  The heading of the next chapter (19) entitled Surat Maryam (Mary) appears on the fragment's verso (see 1-90-154.150 V).  The Qur'anic text itself is executed on rag paper in old Persian naskh and provided with interlinear Persian translations.%Like the chapter heading on its verso, the last line of Surat al-Kahf is executed in plaited eastern  Kufi, with knots executed in black ink on the letters' stems and in red for the vine-like interlacing between the letters' verticals.  The last three words executed in plaited eastern Kufi of verse 18:110, "admit nobody as partner in the worship of God" (bi-'ibadat rabihi ahadan) also are provided with sub-linear Persian translation.  The single verse marker present in the fragment consists of a six-petalled rosette filled in with yellow paint and decorated with three red dots on its perimeter.%The verso of this fragment includes the heading of the 19th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat Maryam (Mary), as well as the surah's initial bismillah.  The title, which reads Surat Maryam, 'alayha al-salam (The Chapter of Mary, Peace be Upon Her), is executed in gold ink on a red background decorated with white interlacing vines (Selim 1979, 159).%The initial bismillah, on the other hand, is executed in plaited eastern Kufi script similar to the last line of writing on the fragment's recto (see 1-90-154.150 R).  The plates form interlacing three-leaf motifs or chain-like knots, in the middle of which appear four leaf designs executed in red ink.%Eastern Kufi and Persian naskh scripts are typical calligraphies practiced in Persian lands between the 11th and the 13th centuries.  It is rather rare to find eastern Kufi interlaced, as the script tends to incline at an angle.  Nevertheless, its high verticals (or stems) leave ample room for the elaboration of decorative motifs in the textual interstices.  Decorative elements include knots, vine or leaf motifs, plaits, and interlaced stems, which counterbalance the low curves of the writing with a filled space in the writing's upper zone.  This decorative technique not only presents calligraphy in an aesthetic manner but also ensures the clarity of the letters (Blair 1986, 329).%Plaited Kufi also appears on Islamic metalwares, as well as on woodwork (Blair 1998: 134-35 and fig. 10.58) and ceramics (L. Volov-Golombek, "Plaited Kufic on Samanid Epigraphic Pottery" Ars Orientalis 6 [1966]: 107-34).  At times, the interlaced motifs recall the ornamental "Celtic knots" of medieval European manuscripts.%Other interlinear Qur'ans are held in the collections of the Library of Congress: see 1-84-154.27c R and V, as well as 1-85-154.67 R and V.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Plaited eastern kufi%Local|Persian naskh			20.2 (w) x 10.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-90-154.150		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000032	resourceid|ascs-248,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.248	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		11th-12th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 7.8 (w) x 15.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 8 (w) x 15.5 (h) cm%Script: eastern Kufi%This Qur'anic fragment includes verses 35-36 of the 40th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Ghafir (the Forgiver), also known as al-Mu'min (The Believer).  Verses 36 and 37 of the same surah continue on the fragment's verso (1-93-154.179 V).  This chapter of the Qur'an utilizes the story of an individual believer (Moses) among the people ruled by an arrogant leader (Pharaoh) in order to show how faith can prevail against evil.  These two verses in particular state that God closes the hearts of "arrogant and obstinate transgressors" such as Pharaoh, who believes wrongly that he can build a palace high enough to reach the heavens.  The text reads here:%Pharaoh said: "O Haman, build me a lofty palace so that I may find the ways and means of reaching the skies and that I may mount up to the God of Moses".%These verses are executed on brown paper in a script known as Qarmathian, a style of eastern Kufi with high vertical shafts and letters assuming a more triangular shape (Lings and Safadi 1976: 34-35, no. 39) than plain eastern Kufi.  In some of the more elaborate Qur'ans made in Iran during the 12th century, the script appears on a background of arabesque scrolls and spirals executed in light brown ink (MET 1987: 32-33).  In this fragment, the five lines of script executed on a high vertical appear on a plain piece of paper, whose only decoration consists of a verse marker in red and gold on the left side of the second line.%The use of the term "Qarmathian" for this particular style of eastern Kufi script has never been explained satisfactorily.  It seems connected to the Qaramitah, a group of Isma'ilis based in the Gulf area that refused to recognize the claims of the Fatimid caliphs to the imamate (r. 909-1171).  Perhaps due to this geographical and chronological link, the script--associated with Qur'an production of Iraq and Iran from the 10th to the 13th century-- gained its appellation "Qarmathian".%Unlike other Qur'ans in eastern Kufi script that make use of the complete vowelling system invented in the 8th century by al-Khalil b. Ahmad (see 1-87-154.134 R and V), this particular fragment uses orange dots to represent vowels and other signs.  This orthographic technique was introduced by Abu al-Aswad (d. 69/688) in order to render the earlier, undotted Kufi script more legible (Lings and Safadi 1976, 19).  Here, red ink is reserved for the vowel waw (u), blue ink for the sukun (vowellessness), and dark gray for the shaddah (duplication of a consonant).  There are other eastern Kufi Qur'an fragments such as this one that make use of Abu al-Aswad's dot system rather than al-Khalil b. Ahmad's technique of diagonal strokes (MTIA 2002, 48).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Eastern Kufi%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			15 (w) x 21.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-93-154.179		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000033	resourceid|ascs-193,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.193	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		14th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 16 (w) x 16.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 17 (w) x 23 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This folio contains the verses 1-4 of the second chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Baqarah (The Cow).  It is the fourth of five folios belonging to a dispersed Qur'an manuscript now held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  The other four folios are: 1-88-154.168 R and V, 1-88-154.8a, and 1-88-154.8b V.  Together, these folios constitute the first five folios of a beautiful, albeit damaged, 14th-century Mamluk Qur'an.%The title of the chapter, executed on a blue and gold background in the top and bottom rectangular panels, gives the name of the surah and the total number of verses (286), words, and letters.  The interest in counting the total number ayahs, words, and letters in various chapters and throughout the Qur'an not only provides an indexing apparatus for the Holy Book, but also may serve various practices concerned with letter mysticism or the esoteric sciences of letters ('ilm al-huruf).%These first four verses include the two abbreviated letters lam (l) and mim (m), followed by a discussion stating the the Qur'an gives guidance to the believer in God, Divine Revelation, and the Afterworld.  The double letters lam-mim appear in six chapters of the Qur'an (2-3, and 29-32).%The script in the main text frame is naskh, a cursive style preferred in Qur'ans made in Cairo during the 14th and 15th centuries.  This particular naskh contains more angular strokes used for the letters qaf (q) and 'ayn (glottal stop), and the loops of the 'ayns are filled in with black ink.  The main text, executed in six lines and provided with ayah markers in the shape of six-petalled gold flowers, is outlined in cloud cartouches and set on a background decorated with medium brown interlacing scrolls containing now worn yellow and blue leaves.  Below the scrollwork appear a number of parallel vertical striations, creating a delicate striped pattern as the text's backdrop.  Both the scrollwork and striations can be found in a number of Mamluk Qur'ans made in Egypt during the first half of the 14th century (see Lings 2004, pl. 117; Lings and Safadi 1976: 52-53; and James 1988, cat. no. 5).  Some Qur'ans of the period also place the text in cloud cartouches on a ground hatched in red (James 1992b: 58-61, cat. no. 13).%The left margin of the folio includes a decorative anse to mark off the page as the beginning of a surah.  It contains a decorative gold leaf and bulb motif on a blue group, a design whose palette and composition echoes the chapter's heading in the top and bottom rectangular panels.%The verso of this folio contains verses 5-16 of the second chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Baqarah (The Cow).  It is the last of five folios belonging to a dispersed Qur'an manuscript now held in the collections of the Library of Congress.%Verses 5-16 of Surat al-Baqarah  stress the importance of true faith and belief in God and warn of the consequences of false conviction.  Unfortunately, verse 5 at the top of the folio and the last few lines of text at the bottom of the folio have been lost due to water damage.	Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			23. (w) 5 x 28.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.8b		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000034	resourceid|ascs-126,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.126	cll|unknown	Illuminated panel; al-Fatihah (The opening)		11th-13th centuries		Script: early naskh%This illuminated rectangular panel appears at the very beginning of a Qur'an executed in early naskh script, dating c. 11th-13th century.  On the verso of the folio appears al-Fatihah (The Opening), the first chapter of the Qur'an (see 1-85-154.78b V).%Ornamental pages such as this one decorate the start and/or end of Qur'ans from at least the 9th century onward.  Also known as "carpet pages," they provide an ornamental and structural break in the manuscript.  Rectangular panels filled with geometric motifs and provided with a finial or leaf-like medallion on the side trace their origins back to Roman inscription panels (tabulae ansatae), which were bound together by a handle (ansa).  In this way, the pattern provides a visual reminiscence of plaques (or folios) bound together into a whole (or codex), and evoke the concept of the Qur'an as written on tablets.  As the Qur'an states (85:21-22): "This is the Glorious Qur'an inscribed on a Preserved Tablet (fi lawh mahfuz).%This particular illuminated initial ornamental page includes a rectangular panel filled with four diamond-shaped polygons emanating from a central four-pointed star.  In each diamond polygon appears a series of concentric circles outlined in light brown ink.  The central four-pointed star and other interlacing polygons include floral designs on an orange-toned background.  The central panel is framed by a series of borders, the first of which consists of an abstract braided motif executed in gold paint.  The finial projecting into the left margin is executed in gold and outlined with a thick line of purple-brown ink.%This folio includes almost the entirety of al-Fatihah (The Opening), the first chapter of the Qur'an.  The remaining line of this chapter appears on another folio that is held in the Library of Congress (see 1-85-154.78a R). Executed in early naskh script on vellum, this fragmentary Qur'an dates probably from the 11th-13th centuries and may have been produced in Iraq or Syria (Lings and Safadi: 44-45, no. 55).  It foreshadows the development of cursive script under the Mamluks, who ruled in Egypt and Syria during the 14th and 15th centuries (see Freer Gallery 32.2 and 48.9).%The chapter's title appears in the top gold-painted rectangular panel and specifies that this chapter opens the Book (Fatihat al-Kitab) and comprises seven verses (ayat).  A finial jets out into the left margin from the topmost rectangular panel, recalling the "handle" (ansa) or finial provided as a decorative motif on the folio's verso.  The rectangular panel below the text is filled with a braided pattern, while its marginal finial is now missing.  Instead, a hole has been pierced through the vellum.%The script itself is executed in an early cursive script (naskh), fully vocalized in black ink.  Verse markers consist of eight-petalled rosettes filled with gold paint and with red circles dotting their perimeters.  This folio has been published in Selim 1979, 147 (upper).	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Early naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts			12.2 (w) x 15.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.78b		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000035	resourceid|ascs-247,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.247	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		14th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 14 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 13.5 (w) x 20 (w) cm%Script: Muhaqqaq%This Qur'anic fragment includes the last verse (30) of the 32nd chapter of the Qur'an, i.e. Surat al-Sajdah (The Prostration), as well as the chapter heading, the bismillah, and first verse of the subsequent chapter (33) entitled Surat al-Ahzab (The Confederates).  The subsequent verses of Surat al-Ahzab continue on the fragment's verso (1-93-154.178 V).%The title of Surat al-Ahzab executed in gold ink outlined in black specifies that the chapter contains 73 verses. The beginning of this surah discusses the necessity of abandoning pagan customs.  The verso of this Qur'anic fragment includes verses 2-4 of Surat al-Ahzab.%O Prophet, fear God and do not listen to the unbelievers and hypocrites, / Verily God is full of knowledge and wisdom.   (33:1)%Follow that which comes to you as inspiration from God, / Because God knows well what you do. / And put your trust in God, / As God is Sufficient as a Guardian. (33:3-4)%The text is calligraphed in small muhaqqaq, one of the cursive scripts typical of Qur'ans produced in Mamluk Egypt during the 14th and 15th centuries (see Lings and Safadi 1976, 52).  Due to its clarity and legibility, muhaqqaq was among the favorite scripts used for writing Qur'ans from the 13th century onward.%Written in five lines per page in a plain script, this fragment includes a section marker in the upper left margin.  The ornament contains the word "half" (nisf) written vertically in gold ink on a gray ground.  The verse markers consist of six-lobed flowers decorated with a small square leaf of gold and red & blue dots between each petal.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Muhaqqaq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			20.9 (w) x 30.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-93-154.178		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000036	resourceid|ascs-064,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.064	cll|unknown	Beginning of Nizami's "Iqbalnamah"		1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 12.1 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 11.9 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This illuminated folio continues the beginning of Nizami's "Iqbalnamah" (The Book of Progress), the second of two sections in the author's last book (kitab), the "Iskandarnamah" (the Book of Alexander the Great),  of his "Khamsah" (Quintet).  It follows the first two illuminated folios of the book (see 1-84-154.1b R & V) and provides multiple praises (subhan) of the Creator, as well as a eulogy on Muhammad, the Lord of the Messengers (dar na't-i Sayyad al-Mursilin).  It is typical for Nizami to introduce every one of his five books with introductory praises of God and His Prophet before launching into a narrative.%The verso of this folio completes the first four folios of Nizami's "Iqbalnamah"  (The Book of Progress), the second of two sections in the author's last book (kitab) of his "Khamsah" (Quintet).  The text provides praises of God and His Prophet (see 1-84-154.1b R & V and 1-84-154.1a R), and offers some pointers about the book and its contents.  The section that introduces the book's subject matter appears in an illuminated cartouche with the title (dar isharat kardan in dastan) written in white ink.  In the lower corner of the folio appears the catchword (chu shah) that begins the subsequent folio, which unfortunately does not survive today.%Written during the last few decades of the 12th century A.D., Nizami's "Khamsah" consists of five books (kitab) written in rhyming distichs (mathnavi).  His fifth book, the "Iskandarnamah", recounts Alexander the Great's (d. 323 B.C.) heroic exploits, battles, and journey to China, Gog and Magog,  at the end of the world.  It is loosely based on the epic narrative of Alexander's deeds as recounted by Firdawsi in his "Shahnamah" (Book of Kings), which may have drawn from the history of Alexander as penned down by his official biographer Callisthenes of Olynthus (c. 370-327 B.C.). Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" has been translated into English by M. S. Southgate, "Iskandarnamah: A Persian Medieval Alexander-Romance" (New York, 1978).%The illumination, white ink chapter headings, text layout, and nasta'liq script are typical of manuscripts made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the sixteenth-century.  Many Safavid Persian manuscripts at this time were produced for the domestic market and international export, rather than by royal commission.%Nine other folios from the same manuscript --mostly initial and terminal folios of the various books (kitab) from the "Khamsah" as well as one painting from the story of Laylah wa Majnun -- are held in the Library of Congress as well.  These bear the same nasta'liq script at 20 lines in 4 columns/page within a similar written surface size of c. 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm.  The folios are: 1-85-154.1a V, 1-85-154.1b R & V, 1-85-154.2a R & V, 1-85-154.2b R & V, and 1-86-154.123 R (painting) & V.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			22.8 (w) x 34.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.1a		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000037	resourceid|ascs-065,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.065	cll|unknown	Colophon of Nizami's "Sharafnamah"; title page of Nizami's "Iqbalnamah"		1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 12.2 (w) x 14 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This folio contains the last lines and colophon of the "Sharafnamah" (The Book of Honor), the first section of the fifth book (kitab) of Nizami's "Khamsah" entitled "Iskandarnamah" (The Book of Alexander).  On the folio's verso appears the beginning of the second section of the "Iskandarnamah" called "Iqbalnamah" (The Book of Progress), arranged in an illuminated title page (see 1-84-154.1b V). The illuminated title page here includes the book's heading written in white ink, which reads: "Kitab Iqbalnamah-yi Shaykh Nizami, 'alayhi al-rahmah wa-al-maghfarah" (The Book of Progress of Nizami, mercy and forgiveness upon him).  The title appears on a blue background decorated with concentric vines of red and yellow flowers.  All around the title panel and the written surface appear bands of illuminated decoration on either a gold or blue background.  Written during the last few decades of the 12th century A.D., the "Khamsah" consists of five books (kitab) written in rhyming distichs (mathnavi).%Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" recounts Alexander the Great's (d. 323 B.C.) heroic exploits, battles, and journey to China, Gog and Magog, at the end of the world.  It is loosely based on the epic narrative of Alexander's deeds as recounted by Firdawsi in his "Shahnamah" (The Book of Kings), which may have drawn from the history of Alexander as penned down by his official biographer Callisthenes of Olynthus (c. 370-327 B.C.). Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" has been translated into English by M. S. Southgate, "Iskandarnamah: A Persian Medieval Alexander-Romance" (New York, 1978).%The final lines of the "Sharafnamah" on the recto of this folio are executed in a carpet-page format, i.e. in alternating horizontal and diagonal lines with illuminated decoration in the remnant triangular or rectangular spaces.  At the very bottom of the folio appears the work's colophon in the shape of a triangle, which states that the book "Sharafnamah-yi Iskandari" of Nizami has been completed thanks to the grace of God.  Unfortunately, the colophon gives neither the date of the book's completion nor the name of the calligrapher.%The text's layout and nasta'liq script are typical of manuscripts made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the sixteenth century.  Many Safavid Persian manuscripts at this time were produced for the domestic market and international export, rather than by royal commission.%Nine other folios from the same manuscript --mostly initial and terminal folios of the various books (kitab) from the "Khamsah", as well as one painting from the story of Laylah wa Majnun -- are held in the Library of Congress as well.  These bear the same nasta'liq script at 20 lines in 4 columns/page within a similar written surface size of ca. 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm.  The folios are: 1-85-154.1a R & V, 1-85-154.1b V, 1-85-154.2a R &V, 1-85-154.2b R & V, and 1-86-154.123 R (painting) & V.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy			22.9 (w) x 34.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.1b		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000038	resourceid|ascs-079,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.079	cll|unknown	Colophon of "Makhzan al-Asrar"; title page of "Khusraw va Shirin"		1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto:12.1 (w) x 14.9 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 12 9 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This folio contains the illuminated title page of the second book of Nizami's "Khamsah" (Quintet), entitled "Khusraw va Shirin", and the colophon of the preceding work, "Makhzan al-Asrar" (The Treasury of Secrets).  Written during the last few decades of the 12th century A.D., the "Khamsah" consists of five books (kitab) written in rhyming distichs (mathnavi).  Along with Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" (Book of Kings), the "Khamsah" stands out as one of the great monuments of medieval Persian poetry.  Both works were oftentimes produced in manuscript form and provided with attendant paintings.%The story of "Khusraw va Shirin" narrates the love relationship of the last great Sasanian ruler, Khusraw Parviz (590-628 A.D.) and his beautiful mistress Shirin.  Many of the episodes in this story revolve around the complications caused by the king's ruses and his mistress' strength and faithfulness.  Exceptionally understanding of women's personalities, there is no doubt that the character of Shirin was based on Nizami's own wife (for the story of "Khusraw va Shirin", see P. Chelkowski et al, "Mirror of the Invisible World: Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami" [New York, 1975]: 21-48).%The illuminated title page here includes the book's heading written in white ink, which reads: "Kitab-i Khusraw va Shirin, Shaykh Nizami."  The title appears on a gold background decorated with red and blue flowers.  All around the title panel and the written surface appear bands of illuminated decoration on either a gold or blue background.  On the back of this folio appear the last lines of the previous book, i.e. "Makhzan al-Asrar" (The Treasury of Secrets), whose colophon unfortunately does not specify the place or date of completion (see 1-84-154.2a R).%The "Makhzan al-Asrar" is a didactic-philosophical work and does not consist of epic or romantic tales like those in the following four books of the "Khamsah".  It includes a number of stories about kings and rulers, with several moral lessons to be learned.%The final lines of the "Makhzan al-Asrar" on this folio are executed in a carpet-page format, i.e. in alternating horizontal and diagonal lines with illuminated decoration in the remnant triangular or rectangular spaces.  At the very bottom of the folio appears the work's colophon, which states that the book "Makhzan al-Asrar" was finished thanks to the grace of God.  Unfortunately, the colophon gives neither the date of the book's completion nor the name of the calligrapher.%The illumination, text layout, and nasta'liq script are typical of manuscripts made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the sixteenth century.  Many Safavid Persian manuscripts at this time were produced for the domestic market and international export, rather than by royal commission.%Nine other folios from the same manuscript --mostly initial and terminal folios of the various books (kitab) from the "Khamsah", as well as one painting from the story of Laylah wa Majnun --  are held in the Library of Congress as well.  These bear the same nasta'liq script at 20 lines in 4 columns/page within a similar written surface size of c. 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm.  The folios are: 1-85-154.1a R & V, 1-85-154.1b R & V, 1-85-154.2a R, 1-85-154.2b R & V, and 1-86-154.123 R (painting) & V.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			22.3 (w) x 34.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.2a		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000039	resourceid|ascs-080,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.080	cll|unknown	Beginning of "Khusraw va Shirin"		1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 12.2 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 12 (w) x 21.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This illuminated folio contains the introductory praise to God and His Unity (dar tawhid-i Bari, or "On the Unity of the Creator") of Nizami's second book of his "Khamsah" (Quintet), entitled "Khusraw va Shirin".  It continues the text of the first two folios of the book, also located in the Library of Congress (1-84-154.2a R & V), and thus completes the praise of God typically found at the beginning of each book (kitab) of the "Khamsah".%At the beginning of each book (kitab) of the "Khamsah", the author praises God and His Unity (typically entitled dar tawhid, or "On Unity").  This first section is then followed, as seen on this folio, by examining the proof (istidlal) of God's presence and praising the Exalted Creator (dar munajat-i Bari ta'ala).%The story of "Khusraw va Shirin" narrates the love relationship of the last great Sasanian ruler, Khusraw Parviz (590-628 A.D.) and his beautiful mistress Shirin.  Many of the episodes in this story revolve around the complications caused by the king's ruses and his mistress' strength and faithfulness.  Exceptionally understanding of women's personalities, there is no doubt that the personality of Shirin was based on Nizami's own wife (for the story of "Khusraw va Shirin" see "P. Chelkowski et al, Mirror of the Invisible World: Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami" [New York, 1975]: 21-48).%The illumination, text layout, and nasta'liq script are typical of manuscripts made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the 16th century.  Many Safavid Persian manuscripts at this time were produced for the domestic market and international export, rather than by royal commission.%Nine other folios from the same manuscript -- mostly initial and terminal folios of the various books (kitab) from the "Khamsah", as well as one painting from the story of Laylah wa Majnun --  are held in the Library of Congress as well.  These bear the same nasta'liq script at 20 lines in 4 columns/page within a similar written surface size of ca. 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm.  The folios are: 1-85-154.1a R & V, 1-85-154.1b R & V, 1-85-154.2a R & V, 1-85-154.2b V, and 1-86-154.123 R (painting) & V.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			22.3 (w) x 34.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.2b		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000040	resourceid|ascs-146,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.146	cll|unknown	The fainting of Laylah and Majnun		1550-1600		Dimensions of Painting: Recto: 12.2 (w) x 16.7 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.2 (w) x 20.9 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This folio depicts a well-known passage from the tragic story of Laylah and Majnun described in the third book of Nizami's "Khamsah" (Quintet).  Forcibly separated by their respective tribes' animosity, forced marriage, and years of exile into the wilderness, these two ill-fated lovers meet again for the last time before their deaths thanks to the intervention of Majnun's elderly messenger.  Upon seeing each other in a palm-grove immediately outside of Laylah's camp, they faint of extreme passion and pain.  The old man attempts to revive the lovers, while the wild animals protective of Majnun ("The King of Wilderness") attack unwanted intruders.%The location and time of the narrative is hinted at by the two tents dressed in the middleground and the dark nighttime sky in the background.  The composition's style and hues are typical of paintings made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the 16th century.  Many manuscripts at this time were produced for the domestic market and international export, rather than by royal commission.%The verso of this folio describes the painting on the recto. This particular painting appears to have been executed at the same time as the text of the "Khamsah" proper, which survives on the painting's verso (1-86-154.123 R).  Eight other folios from the same manuscript  -- mostly initial and terminal folios of the various books (kitab) from the "Khamsah" --  are held in the Library of Congress as well.  These bear the same nasta'liq script at 20 lines in 4 columns/page within a similar written surface size of c. 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm.  The folios are: 1-84-154.1a R & V, 1-85-154.1b R & V, 1-85-154.2a R & V, and 1-85-154.2b R & V.%For an English translation of Nizami's story of Laylah and Majnun, see R. Gelpke (trans./ed.), "Nizami: The Story of Layla and Majnun" (London, 1966) and P. Chelkowski et al, "Mirror of the Invisible World: Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami" (New York, 1975): 49-65.  For further illustrations of Nizami's "Khamsah", see I. Stchoukine, "Les Peintures des Manuscrits de la Khamseh' de Nizami  au Topkapi Sarayi Muzesi d'Istanbul, Institut Francais d'Archologie de Beyrouth", vol. 96 (Paris, 1977).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			14.1 (w) x 23.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.123		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000041	resourceid|ascs-073,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.073	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		14th- 15th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.9 (w) x 20.3 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%This Qur'anic fragment includes a carpet page on the left intended to introduce a new section of the Qur'an, as well as the subsequent verses, i.e. ayahs 53-54 of the 39th surah of the Qur'an entitled al-Zumar (The Crowds).  The immediately preceding verses (50-52) appear on the left side of the fragment's verso (1-84-154.26 V).  Surat al-Zumar is the last of a series of six chapters (34-39) dealing with the mysteries of the spiritual world and the Hereafter.  Verse 53 in particular stresses God's compassion:%Say: O creatures of God, those of you / Who have acted against your own interests / Should not be disheartened of the mercy of God. / Surely God forgives all sins. / He is All-Forgiving and All-Merciful.%The green and red illuminated carpet page on the folio's left is intended to introduce the 24th section (juz') of the Qur'an, and it includes an extracted inscription containing verses 77-79 of Chapter 56 entitled Surat al-Waqi'ah (The Inevitable).  These verses typically open the Qur'an as included on a double page illuminated frontispiece (see 1-88-154.8a and 1-89-154.168 R), although they may appear in decorated pages used to separate the parts (ajza') of the Qur'an.  The verses read:%That this is indeed a Glorious Qur'an / In a Well-Guarded Book, / Which none shall touch but those who are clean.%The text on the right side of the folio is executed in black thuluth script at five lines per page.  A number of alifs (the vowel "a") are picked out in red ink, while the name of God (Allah) is written out in gold and outlined in black ink.  In the right margin appears the term 'ashar, which denotes the tenth verse, while verse markers consist of eight-petalled rosettes with red and blue dots.%The verso of  this fragment continues with  verses 32-34 and, on the left hand side, verses 50-52 of  al-Zumar (The Crowds). Verse 34 in particular promises God's recompense for good behavior:%They shall have all that they wish for / In the presence of their Lord. / Such is the reward of those who do good.%This illuminated page's style and the text's script all match another fragment in the Library of Congress (1-87-154.151 R & V, viz.  Selim 1979, 161).  Both fragments appear to have come from the same Qur'an produced during the Mamluk period (14th-15th centuries) in Egypt.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Thuluth%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			43.3 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.26		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000042	resourceid|ascs-092,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.092	cll|unknown	Siyah Mashq		c. 1850-1900		Dimensions of Written Surface: 18.5 (w) x 24.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic practice sheet includes a number of diagonal words and letters used in combinations facing upwards and downwards on the folio.  The common Persian cursive script nasta'liq is favored here over the more "broken" shikastah script.%These sheets -- known as siyah mashq (lit. black practice) in Persian -- were entirely covered with writing as a means to practice calligraphy and conserve paper.  In time, they became collectible items and thus were signed and dated (this fragment, however, does not appear signed or dated).  Many fragments such as this one were provided with a variety of decorative borders and pasted to sheets ornamented with plants or flowers painted in gold.  For example, a number of siyah mashq sheets executed at the turn of the 17th century by the great Iranian master of nasta'liq script, 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615), were preserved and provided with illumination by Muhammad Hadi ca. 1160-1172/1747-1759 (Akimushkin  1996: 65, 70, 87, and 91).%As an established genre, practice sheets abided to certain rules of formal compositions, largely guided by rhythm and repetition (Safwat 1996, 32).  Although siyah mashq sheets survive from ca. 1600, they seem to have been a particularly popular genre during the second half of the 19th century, i.e., during the artistic revival spearheaded by the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah, who reigned 1848-1896 (Mehdi Zadeh 1369/1950: 44-45 and 54-55; and Diba and Ekhtiar 1998: 239-41).%A number of other siyah mashq sheets are held in the Library of Congress.  See in particular 1-87-154.45, 1-84-154.46, 1-85-154.88, 1-87-154.142, and 1-86-154.144.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			30.9 (w) x 47.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.44		intldl/ascs			18500000	text	tx	
ascs000043	resourceid|ascs-093,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.093	cll|unknown	Siyah Mashq		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 24.6 (w) x 38.6 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic practice sheet includes a number of diagonal words and letters used in combinations facing upwards and downwards on the folio.  The common Persian cursive script nasta'liq is favored here over the more "broken" shikastah script.%These sheets --  known as siyah mashq (lit. black practice) in Persian --  were entirely covered with writing as a means to practice calligraphy and conserve paper.  In time, they became collectible items and thus were signed and dated (this fragment, however, does not appear signed or dated).  Many fragments such as this one were provided with a variety of decorative borders and pasted to sheets ornamented with plants or flowers painted in gold.  For example, a number of siyah mashq sheets executed at the turn of the 17th century by the great Iranian master of nasta'liq script, 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615), were decorated in gold, preserved in albums (muraqqa'at), and provided with illumination by Muhammad Hadi ca. 1160-1172/1747-1759 (Akimushkin  1996: 65, 70, 87, and 91).%As an established genre, practice sheets abided to certain rules of formal compositions, largely guided by rhythm and repetition (Safwat 1996, 32).  Although siyah mashq sheets survive from ca. 1600, they seem to have been a particularly popular genre during the second half of the 19th century, i.e., during the artistic revival spearheaded by the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah, who reigned 1848-1896 (Mehdi Zadeh 1369/1950: 44-45 and 54-55; and Diba and Ekhtiar 1998: 239-41).%This fragment, decorated with a blue frame and pasted onto a light pink sheet painted with gold vine and flower decorations, bears a striking resemblance to another sheet in the Library of Congress (1-87-154.45).  It appears that both sheets came from the same album (muraqqa') of calligraphies, which belonged to a patron who placed his seal impression in the lower right corner of this fragment.  Unfortunately, the seal impression is illegible.%A number of other siyah mashq sheets are held in the Library of Congress.  See in particular 1-84-154.44, 1-85-154.88, 1-87-154.142, and 1-86-154.144.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			30.8 (w) x 47.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.46		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000044	resourceid|ascs-094,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.094	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		14th-15th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 17 (w) x 27.3 (h) cm%Script: muhaqqaq%This Qur'anic fragment includes verses 148-150 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-An'am (The Cattle).  Verses 150-151 continue on the fragment's verso (1-84-154.47 V).  This surah dates from the late Meccan period.  It discusses the nature of God and the manner in which He reveals Himself.  Verses 148-151 in particular encourage humans to follow God's path as described in the Qur'an:%Say: "With God is the argument that reaches home: / If it had been His Will, he would have guided you all." (6:149)%The verso continues verses 148-150, which appear on the folio's recto (1-84-154.47 R).    Verses 148-151 in particular encourage humans to follow God's Will as described in the Qur'an, since His commands are based on moral law:%Say: "Come, I will rehearse what God has really prohibited you from:" / Join not anything as equal with Him; / Be good to your parents; kill not your children / On a plea of want [...] (6:151)%The text is calligraphed in clear muhaqqaq script at five lines per page, bound by a delicate frame consisting of several lines executed in gold and black ink.  Muhaqqaq undoubtedly was the favorite cursive script of calligraphers who copied Qur'ans during the 14th-15th centuries (Lings and Safadi 1976, 50).  The script and text layout are typical of Qur'ans of this period executed in Iraq and Mamluk Egypt (James 1992a, cat. nos. 24, 34, and 37; and James 1988).%The verse markers consist of seven-petalled gold rosettes decorated with red and blue dots.  One of the markers even breaks out of the text frame at the top left corner.  In the upper left corner appears a gold roundel marking a tenth verse ('ashar) as well.  The paper is white and quite thin, causing the text on the folio's verso to show through.	Local|Muhaqqaq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy			27.4 (w) x 37.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.47		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000045	resourceid|ascs-132,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.132	cll|unknown	Siyah Mashq		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.3 (w) x 21.6 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic practice sheet includes a number of diagonal words and letters used in combinations facing upwards and downwards on the folio.  The common Persian cursive script nasta'liq is favored here over the more "broken" shikastah script.%These sheets --  known as siyah mashq (lit. black practice) in Persian --  were entirely covered with writing as a means to practice calligraphy and conserve paper.  In time, they became collectible items and thus were signed and dated (this fragment, however, does not appear signed or dated).  Many fragments such as this one were provided with a variety of decorative borders and pasted to sheets ornamented with plants or flowers painted in gold.  For example, a number of siyah mashq sheets executed at the turn of the 17th century by the great Iranian master of nasta'liq script, 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615), were decorated in gold, preserved in albums (muraqqa'at), and provided with illumination by Muhammad Hadi ca. 1160-1172/1747-1759 (Akimushkin  1996: 65, 70, 87, and 91).%As an established genre, practice sheets abided to certain rules of formal compositions, largely guided by rhythm and repetition (Safwat 1996, 32).  Although siyah mashq sheets survive from ca. 1600, they seem to have been a particularly popular genre during the second half of the 19th century, i.e., during the artistic revival spearheaded by the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah, who reigned 1848-1896 (Mehdi Zadeh 1369/1950: 44-45 and 54-55; and Diba and Ekhtiar 1998: 239-41).%This calligraphic exercise is executed in black ink on a background painted in brown.  It is provided with a purple frame decorated with gold vines and a second plain pink frame.  The framed composition is pasted onto a thicker blue sheet decorated with gold flower sprays.%A number of other siyah mashq sheets are held in the Library of Congress.  See in particular 1-84-154.44, 1-87-154.45, 1-84-154.46, 1-87-154.142, and 1-86-154.144.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			20.3 (w) x 31.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.88		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000046	resourceid|ascs-154,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.154	cll|unknown	Siyah Mashq		17th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 29.1 (h) x 16.6 (w) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic practice sheet includes a number of diagonal words and letters used in combinations facing upwards and downwards on the folio.  The common Persian cursive script nasta'liq is favored here over the more "broken" shikastah script.%These sheets --  known as siyah mashq (lit. black practice) in Persian --  were entirely covered with writing as a means to practice calligraphy and conserve paper.  In time, they became collectible items and thus were signed and dated (this fragment, however, does not appear signed or dated).  Many fragments such as this one were provided with a variety of decorative borders and pasted to sheets ornamented with plants or flowers painted in gold.  Even the calligraphic exercise itself appears on a background of painted clouds decorated with illuminated flowers.%A number of siyah mashq sheets executed at the turn of the 17th century by the great Iranian master of nasta'liq script, 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615), were decorated in gold, preserved in albums (muraqqa'at), and provided with illumination by Muhammad Hadi ca. 1160-1172/1747-1759 (Akimushkin  1996: 65, 87, and 91).  These sheets bear a striking resemblance to this fragment, especially in the interlacing gold flower and leaf motif used on the sheet's blue border (Akimushkin 1996: 70).  It is possible that the Library of Congress' siyah mashq sheet was executed by 'Imad al-Hasani or one of his contemporaries or followers.%As an established genre, practice sheets abided to certain rules of formal compositions, largely guided by rhythm and repetition (Safwat 1996, 32).  Although siyah mashq sheets survive from ca. 1600, they seem to have been a particularly popular genre during the second half of the 19th century, i.e., during the artistic revival spearheaded by the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah, who reigned 1848-1896 (Mehdi Zadeh 1369/1950: 44-45 and 54-55; and Diba and Ekhtiar 1998: 239-41).%A number of other siyah mashq sheets are held in the Library of Congress.  See in particular 1-84-154.44, 1-87-154.45, 1-84-154.46, 1-85-154.88, 1-87-154.142.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq			47.5 (h) x 31.7 (w) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.144		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000047	resourceid|ascs-164,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.164	cll|unknown	Siyah Mashq		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 24.4 (w) x 19.3 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic practice sheet includes a number of diagonal words and letters used in combinations facing upwards and downwards on the folio.  The common Persian cursive script nasta'liq is favored here over the more "broken" shikastah script.%These sheets --  known as siyah mashq (lit. black practice) in Persian -- were entirely covered with writing as a means to practice calligraphy and conserve paper.  In time, they became collectible items and thus were signed and dated (this fragment, however, does not appear signed or dated).  Many fragments such as this one were provided with a variety of decorative borders and pasted to sheets ornamented with plants or flowers painted in gold.  Even the calligraphic exercise itself appears on a background of painted clouds or leaves.  For example, a number of siyah mashq sheets executed at the turn of the 17th century by the great Iranian master of nasta'liq script, 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615), were decorated in gold, preserved in albums (muraqqa'at), and provided with illumination by Muhammad Hadi ca. 1160-1172/1747-1759 (Akimushkin 1996: 65, 70, 87, and 91).%As an established genre, practice sheets abided to certain rules of formal compositions, largely guided by rhythm and repetition (Safwat 1996, 32).  Although siyah mashq sheets survive from ca. 1600, they seem to have been a particularly popular genre during the second half of the 19th century, i.e., during the artistic revival spearheaded by the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah, who reigned 1848-1896 (Mehdi Zadeh 1369/1950: 44-45 and 54-55; and Diba and Ekhtiar 1998: 239-41).%This fragment includes two individual leaves of siyah mashq pasted together onto a single sheet of paper and provided with dark blue and pink frames decorated with gold vine and leaf motifs.  The fragment on the left also includes light blue horizontal frames at the top and bottom on the sheet: these appear cut out from a previous manuscript and are pasted here for preservation and aesthetic purposes. In the lower left hand corner of both calligraphic sheets appear the remnant traces of now illegible square seal impressions.  Both sheets and their decorative frames are pasted onto a beautifully illuminated page with interlacing gold flowers and vines topped by three large gold flowers adorned with blue illumination.%A number of other siyah mashq sheets are held in the Library of Congress.  See in particular 1-84-154.44, 1-87-154.45, 1-84-154.46, 1-85-154.88, and 1-86-154.144.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			30.9 (w) x 47.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.142		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000048	resourceid|ascs-183,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.183	cll|unknown	Siyah Mashq		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 25 (w) x 39 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic practice sheet includes a number of diagonal words and letters used in combinations facing upwards and downwards on the folio.  The common Persian cursive script nasta'liq is favored here over the more "broken" shikastah script.%These sheets -- known as siyah mashq (lit. black practice) in Persian -- were entirely covered with writing as a means to practice calligraphy and conserve paper.  In time, they became collectible items and thus were signed and dated (this fragment, however, does not appear signed or dated).  Many fragments such as this one were provided with a variety of decorative borders and pasted to sheets ornamented with plants or flowers painted in gold.  For example, a number of siyah mashq sheets executed at the turn of the 17th century by the great Iranian master of nasta'liq script, 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615), were preserved and provided with illumination by Muhammad Hadi ca. 1160-1172/1747-1759 (Akimushkin 1996: 65, 70, 87, and 91).%As an established genre, practice sheets abided to certain rules of formal compositions, largely guided by rhythm and repetition (Safwat 1996, 32).  Although siyah mashq sheets survive from ca. 1600, they seem to have been a particularly popular genre during the second half of the 19th century, i.e., during the artistic revival spearheaded by the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah, who reigned 1848-1896 (Mehdi Zadeh 1369/1950: 44-45 and 54-55; and Diba and Ekhtiar 1998: 239-41).%This fragment, decorated with a blue frame and pasted onto a light pink sheet painted with gold vine and flower decorations, bears a striking resemblance to another sheet in the Library of Congress (1-84-154.46).  It appears that both sheets came from the same album (muraqqa') of calligraphies, which belonged to a patron who placed his seal impression on a number of calligraphic exempla (see lower right corner of 1-84-154.46).  Unfortunately, the seal impression is illegible.%A number of other siyah mashq sheets are held in the Library of Congress.  See in particular 1-84-154.44, 1-85-154.88, 1-87-154.142, and 1-86-154.144.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			31.1 (w) x 47.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.45		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000049	resourceid|ascs-107,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.107	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		11th-12th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 26.2 (w) x 35.9 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes some of the terminal verses (43-53) of the 30th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Rum (The Romans).  The last seven verses (53-60) of this chapter, as well as the first four verses of the next chapter (31:1-4), appear on the fragment's verso (see 1-85-154.101 V).  This chapter deals with world power, as symbolized by the Persian and Roman empires, and the Day of Judgment.  The surah advises here:%Turn your face to the right religion / Before there comes from God  / The day which there is no chance of averting. / On that day men will be divided (in two groups). / Those who reject faith / Will suffer from that rejection; / And those who work righteousness / Will spread their couch (of repose) for themselves in Heaven. (30:43-44)%The verso of this calligraphic fragment includes the last verses of  the Surat al-Rum, as well as the first four verses of the subsequent chapter, Surat Luqman (31:1-4). Surat Luqman advises righteousness and wisdom. This surah states:%Those who establish regular prayer / And give regular charity / And have in their hearts the assurance of the Hereafter / These are on true guidance from their Lord / And these are the ones who will prosper. (31:4-5).%The Kufi script executed in brown ink on this parchment fragment recalls Kufi "New Style I" typical of Qur'ans produced in Iraq and Persia during the 11th and 12th centuries (Droche 1992, cat. no. 90), although by this time Qur'ans tend to be produced on paper rather than vellum or parchment.  This kind of script is angular, and letters that should be connected by ligatures are oftentimes detached, thus making the text difficult to decipher.%Although substantially faded today, vocalization marks executed as red dots are visible both above and below the main text lines.  Verse markers are rather indistinguishable, as they are very small and also executed in brown ink.  They consist of three diagonal lines diminishing in size in order to create a triangular formation.  The tenth verse marker separating verse 50 from 51, located on the fourth line from the bottom on this folio, stands out as it consists of a simple virgule inscribed in a plain circle.%Unfortunately, this fragment has suffered through the wear of usage -- as witnessed by the creases running horizontally and vertically across the folio -- and water damage, which has smeared the letters both at the top and bottom of this fragment.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			34.5 (w) x 40.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.101		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000050	resourceid|ascs-114,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.114	cll|unknown	Bal'ami's Persian translation of al-Tabari's "Ta'rikh"		13th-14th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 20.0 (h) x 17.7 (w) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 29 (h) x 21.3 (w) cm%Script: Persian naskh%This fragment contains the beginning pages of the historical encyclopedia entitled "Ta'rikh al-Rusul wa-al-Muluk" (History of Prophets and Kings) composed in Arabic by the celebrated historian al-Tabari (d. 310/923), later abridged and translated into Persian in 963 AD by the writer Bal'ami.  The verso of this fragment (1-85-154.69 V) continues the first two pages and includes a later note identifying the work as the "Histories of Tabari in Persian" (tawarikh-i Tabari-yi farsi).  The work includes a history of kings and dynasties from pre-Islamic times to the prophecy of Muhammad, as well as early Islamic history.%The first two pages of text on the recto of this fragment include a lengthy encomium to God, His power, and His creations.  This is followed by an encomium in Arabic to the author's patron, the Samanid King of Khurasan and Transoxiana, al-Mansur b. Nuh b. Ahmad b. Isma'il, for whom Bal'ami translated the work into Persian.  The author states at the conclusion of his preface that "we have transcribed in this work the history of the world, everything that is said about astronomers and that which is said about the Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, and Christians."  The third section, which begins at the lower part of the left side of the recto and continues on the right side of the fragment's verso, glorifies God's power to create, citing numerous verses from the Qur'an picked out in red ink.%The page on the right contains the continuation of an encomium to God's creative powers, interspersed with Arabic prayers picked out in red ink, followed by the third section of the work which addresses various scientists' opinions on the duration of the world (al-qawl fi miqdar muddat al-dunya).  In this section, the length of the world's existence from the time of Adam until the Day of Resurrection is calculated according to a variety of opinions, including those of Aristotle and Hippocrates.  Bal'ami notes that some scholars believe that the duration of the world is 7000 years.%The left page includes a number of a posteriori reader's notes.  At the top appears an ex-libris (min kutub) mark, which states that the book belonged to a certain Muhammad [...] 'Abd Khawajaga, who dated his mark 1214/1800 (?).  Unfortunately, both the former book's owner and the date were smeared at a later date.%Because this fragment bears Bal'ami's introduction and thus marks the beginning of the manuscript, the text is framed on both sides by an illuminated border.  The frames are decorated with gold flowers with blue spots on a pure gold background.  On the top and bottom horizontal frames appear praises to God, Muhammad, and Muhammad's family and his companions, executed in white ink and framed by blue panels decorated with gold flowers.  The main text is executed in black ink in an old Persian naskh (cursive) script typical of works produced during Ilkhanid rule (1256-1353) in Iran.  At least one contemporary illustrated copy of al-Bal'ami's history made in Mosul circa 1300 AD is now held in the Freer Gallery in Washington D.C. (acc. no. F 1957.16, 1930.21 and 1947.19).%Bal'ami's Persian version of Tabari's "Ta'rikh" has been translated into French by Hermann Zotenberg: see "Chronique de Abou Djafar Mohammed-ben-Djarir-ben-Yezid Tabari, traduite sur la version persane d'Abou-Ali Mohammed Bel`ami, d'aprs les manuscrits de Paris, de Gotha, de Londres et de Canterbury" (Paris: Imprimerie Impriale, 1867-1874).	Local|Persian naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			38.8 (h) x 53.0 (w) x cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.69		intldl/ascs			12000000	text	tx	
ascs000051	resourceid|ascs-143,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.143	cll|unknown	Sa'di's "Gulistan" (The Rose Garden)		15th-16th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.4 (w) x 7.3 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment includes the beginning of Sa'di's "Gulistan" (The Rose Garden) on its recto, as well as the work's final page on its verso (1-86-154.120 V).  The first page includes the work's title (Kitab-i [...]istan) written in white ink on a blue background decorated with orange leaf spirals.  The rest of the illuminated top panel (sarloh) contains interlacing flowers and gold panels on a blue ground.%The Persian poet and prose writer Shaykh Sa'di Shirazi (ca. 1213-1292) composed his "Gulistan", a didactic work in both prose and verse, in 1258 AD.  It contains a number of moralizing stories that bear similarities to the fables of Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695).  In Persian lands, his maxims were highly valued and manuscripts of his work were widely copied and illustrated. Although Sa'di's "Gulistan" was much admired, his best-known work remains the "Bustan" (The Fruit Garden), which also contains a number of histories, personal anecdotes, fables, and moral instructions.  Sa'di was a contemporary of the famous poet Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273).%Sa'di notes that he composed his "Gulistan" to teach the rules of conduct in life both to kings and dervishes.  It is evident that his work was a tool of instruction and commentary as witnessed by the extensive marginal glosses and explanatory notes explaining poetical expressions executed in red or black ink, cross-checked with a corresponding note within the original text.  A few notes in red ink in the main text frame also develop some of the terms or expressions: for example, the first line praising God (Khudavand) bears a small note in red above specifying that God is Lord (Sahib) and King (Malik).%The main text is executed in the Persian cursive script called nasta'liq.  It is placed in three columns, two of which are written horizontally and the third diagonally.  At the top and bottom of the third column bearing diagonal writing appear two corner pieces (thumb-pieces) decorated with a gold vine with an orange bud: this motif is intended to fill the triangular space left blank by the intersection of the diagonal and horizontal registers.%At the very bottom of the text frame appears a barely legible square seal impression.  Some of the decipherable words in the impression include hamid ("the praised"), 'azim ("the great"), and 'abduhu ("his servant").%The verso of this fragment bears the last page of Sa'di's "Gulistan" (The Rose Garden). This terminal page includes several notes, including in the lowermost left corner, that "The Rose Garden" has come to a close (Tammam  al-Kitab Gulistan). In the conclusion of his work, as found on this folio, Sa'di states:%Reader! For him who wrote this book, ask grace; / And let the scribe, too, in your prayers find place: / Next for yourself whatever you wish pray; / Lastly, a blessing for the owner say. / By aid of the All-Gracious King, / This work here to an end we bring.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			27.5 (w) x 16.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.120		intldl/ascs			14000000	text	tx	
ascs000052	resourceid|ascs-129,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.129	cll|unknown	Mufradat page		19th century (?)		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.2 (w) x 18.4 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment contains what would have been the first page of an album of calligraphic alphabetical (mufradat) exercises.  Such albums include the single letters (al-huruf al-mufradah or, in the Ottoman tradition, huruf-i muqatta'a) of the Arabic alphabet in sequence, followed by letters in their composite form (in the Turkish tradition, murekkebe, lit. "pairs").  Exercise books begin at least by the 17th century in Ottoman Turkey and continue well into the 20th century (see 1-87-154.128a-b). They were used as books of calligraphy exemplars in order to introduce students to the Arabic alphabet and the practice of  husn al-khatt (beautiful handwriting).  They also bear witness to the chain of transmission of calligraphic knowledge throughout the centuries (Safwat 1996:12-3).%This folio's first three lines include the single letters (al-huruf al-mufradah) arranged in alphabetical order.  In the middle of the third line appears a light blue and gold stippled rosette intended to separate the free-standing letters at the top from the sequence of composite letters at the bottom.  The composite letters combine the second letter of the alphabet ba (b) with subsequent letters of the alphabet.  Between each line of text appear curved wavy lines executed in black ink intended to fill the otherwise unadorned, empty spaces in the composition.%The letters are written in a black nasta'liq script on a beige paper and surrounded by cloud bands executed in light blue and white ink.  Between the bands and the rectangular frame appear a number of illuminated flower motifs placed on a gold background stippled with three-dot incisions.  The work's frames combine single colors with an internal white-and-gray marbled paper (kaghaz-i abri).  The paper and frames are placed onto a thicker light green piece of paper decorated with gold flecks.%A number of other mufradat exercises are held in the collection of the Library of Congress: see 1-85-154.80, 1-85-154.81, 1-87-154.128a-b, and 1-88-154.36a-b.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy			18.1 (w) x 26 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.84		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000053	resourceid|ascs-145,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.145	cll|unknown	The feast of Iskandar and Nushabah		16th century		Dimensions of Painting: 18.6 (w) x 22.8 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.7 (w) x 22.3 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%The painting on the recto and the text on the verso of this fragment describes an episode in Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" (The Book of Alexander the Great), the last text of the author's "Khamsah" (Quintet).  In his work, the great Persian author Nizami (d. 614/1218) describes the adventures and battles of Alexander the Great as he travels to the end of the world.%On his way to the Land of Darkness, he visits the Queen of the Caucasian city of Barda, Nushabah in order to seek her financial and logistical support.  Disguised as a messenger, Alexander nonetheless is recognized by Nushabah, who is familiar with his facial traits from a painting located in her treasure house of portraits.  Though keeping his identity a secret, she organizes a large feast ('ishrat) for him and invites him to sit next to her on a golden throne.  Servants and musicians surround the couple, as described in Nizami's text on the fragment's verso (see 1-86-154.122 V).%The text located above and below the painting is executed in fine Persian cursive script known as nasta'liq.  Because the verses precede and follow a composition, they are outlined in cloud bands and located on an illuminated gold ground decorated with flower and vine motifs.  The painting's composition is typical of illuminated manuscripts made in Shiraz (southwestern Iran) during the second half of the 16th century.  These manuscripts were usually produced for the market rather than for a royal patron.  This particular painting resembles another composition of the same subject sold at Sotheby's (London) on 10/18/1995 (Lot 17).%Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" has been translated into English by Minoo Southgate, "Iskandarnamah: a Persian Medieval Alexander-Romance" (New York: Columbia University Press, 1978).%Another painting from Nizami's "Khamsah" is also held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-86-154.123).	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			22.7 (w) x 34.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.122		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000054	resourceid|ascs-001,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.001	cll|'Abdallah (Lahuri)	Spousal advice		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 18.4 (w) x 17.6 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%This calligraphic fragment includes six lines of script written right-side-up and up-side-down in thuluth script in black ink on a beige sheet of folio pasted to a orange sheet backed by cardboard.  The sequence of lines goes as follows:%First line of text: line 2 / Second line of text: line 4 / Third line of text: line 6 / Fourth line of text: line 5 (up-side-down) / Fifth line of text: line 3 (up-side-down) / Sixth line of text: line 1%Together, the six continuous lines of text in Arabic read: A father speaks to a mother [and says] this is what is joyful to a tender and loving father and one who knows that this behavior is desirable.  You, as their mother, must be a sound, healthy, and pure soul; you should implement these [manners] as my will in God's following; you should spend within what God limits in your life; and you should accept what is given, what is permitted and forbidden, and you must not disobey this.%These husbandly recommendations seek to promote goodness and piety in a woman who is also a mother.  The saying belongs to the broader category of advice (nasihat) in Arabic moral literature.%The fragment is signed up-side-down between the last two lines of text.  The "servant" calligrapher 'Abdallah states that he has written this piece (mashaqahu al-'abd 'Abdallah), but he does not provide a date.  The calligrapher may be identified as 'Abdallah Lahuri, who was active in Lahore during the 18th century.  Another fragment of his work executed in nasta'liq script, is also held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-04-713.19.43).  After the death of Aurangzeb (d. 1707), Mughal power was decentralized and royal patronage of calligraphy declined.  The rise of new styles emerged in cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Lahore, where calligraphers such as 'Abdallah sought out patronage from local rulers and seem to have had the freedom to experiment with a number of different calligraphic scripts.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Spousal Advice%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Thuluth			25.2 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.15.1		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000055	resourceid|ascs-002,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.002	cll|unknown	Poetic verses offering advice		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8 (w) x 17.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This thin fragment is quite damaged by worm holes and has been pasted to a larger sheet for the purpose of preservation.  Written in black nasta'liq script tending towards shikastah, the text begins with an iambic quatrain (ruba'i), continues with two single verses (tak bayt), and ends with a lyrical poem (ghazal) with the rhyming terminal sound "sati."  The verses are separated by diagonal lines in red ink, and the term "also" (aydan) at the top of the left column initiates the ghazal.  These various poetical verses provide the reader with advice (nasihat) to trust in God; they also warn of the futility of worldly goods.%Although the fragment is neither dated nor signed, the script and the fragility of the paper suggest that the text was executed in Iran or India during the 17th-18th centuries.  Papers used at an earlier period were thicker and less prone to worm damage.%Nevertheless, a note on the fragment's recto attempts to attribute the calligraphic sample to the Persian calligrapher 'Abd al-Baqi (d. 926/1518).  'Abd al-Baqi was a native of the desert town of Yazd, a descendant of the famous mystical saint Shah Ni'matullah Vali (d. 832/1429), a minister of the Persian king Shah Isma'il I (d. 930/1524), and a reputed calligrapher in ta'liq script (Qadi Ahmad 1959, 88; and Huart 1972, 319).  However, it appears unlikely that the fragment is by 'Abd al-Baqi or even executed at his time (ca. 1450-1500).	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			16.5 (w) x 24.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.15.2		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000056	resourceid|ascs-003,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.003	cll|unknown	Levha		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 29.5 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel includes an arabic saying written in black nasta'liq script on a brown background framed in blue and pink borders decorated with gold designs.  The lower right and left corners of the panel are lost.  The saying reads:%Ufawwitu amri ila Allah inna Allah bashara bi al-'ibad / I entrust my affair to God.  Truly, God looks after His servants.%This particular prayer, which places complete trust in God, typically is recited by an individual as a pious invocation (du'a) to the Lord.  Several mystical groups, such as the Naqshbandi Sufis (mystics), also recite this du'a in a repeated fashion during the prayer performed at daybreak (Salat al-fajr).  Judging from the remaining strings attached at the top of this calligraphic panel, it probably had been suspended from a wall in a dervish lodge sometime during the 18th-19th centuries.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			37 (w) x 27.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.15.3		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000057	resourceid|ascs-004,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.004	cll|Yaqut (attr.)	Hajj directions		13th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 25 (w) x 4 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%This line of text reads: "Annahu la yastalim ila al-hajar al-aswad wa-al-rukn al-yamani" (He does not permit (it) except (at) the Black Stone and the Yemenite Corner).  It appears that this text comprises a fragment of a pilgrimage guide or prescriptive text that states that, during ritual circumambulation (tawaf), touching or kissing the Ka'ba only is permitted at the Black Stone and the Yemenite Corner (the southeast corner).  Certain prayers and supplications also are particular to those two corners of the Ka'ba.%The line of text is executed in a large and crisp thuluth script in black ink.  The words are fully vocalized, and the letter "sin" (s) has three dots below the text line to distinguish it from the letter "shin" (sh).  The text is written on a beige piece of paper, framed by cloud bands, and placed on a cloud background.  It is provided with several frames, including a horizontal band of blue leaf motifs.  It is pasted to a larger sheet of light brown paper backed by cardboard.%On the fragment's verso appears a note attributing the piece to the famous 13th-century calligrapher Yaqut al-Musta'simi (d. 696/1296).  Active at the 'Abbasid court in Baghdad, he lived through the Mongol invasions (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 57-60).  He wrote in the six cursive styles, which included thuluth (used here).%Although the text is not signed and certain additions may have been made later, it is possible that this fragment was executed by Yaqut al-Musta'simi himself.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Thuluth			30.8 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.15.4		intldl/ascs			12000000	text	tx	
ascs000058	resourceid|ascs-005,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.005	cll|Safi al-Husayni	Fragmentary verses		unknown		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 22.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment is in very poor condition.  The four verses of Persian poetry are interrupted by a number of large holes in the paper.  A few words can be read, however:%Bazam... didan-i ruyat... / Jamalat dida bakhtam... shud / Dast-i... bi-karana / Mujab-i 'aysh dil u [dida?] shud%[I want] to see your face again / Seeing your beauty... made my fortune / Hand... without end / [Their] presence made (my) heart and eye happy%In the upper right corner appears a pasted gold panel, while the lower right corner contains the truncated name of the calligrapher, Safi al-Husayni.  This calligrapher is otherwise unknown, although he may have been active in Persia or India sometime during or after the 16th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			21.3 (w) x 29.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.15.5		intldl/ascs			0000	text	tx	
ascs000059	resourceid|ascs-006,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.006	cll|Vassal	An Arabic poem		1258/1842		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.3 (w) x 17.8 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This fragment includes a poem in Arabic written in black naskh script on a beige paper.  The words are fully vocalized in black and framed by cloud bands on a gold background.  The text panel is framed in blue and pasted to a larger sheet of green paper backed by cardboard.%On the final line, the calligrapher Vassal states that he has written the work (hararahu) on a Monday night during the months of the year (fi laylat al-ithnayn min shuhur sanah) 1258/1842.  The calligrapher can be identified as the famous naskh-revivalist Vassal-i Shirazi (d. 1262/1846), the greatest Iranian calligrapher of the 19th century (see the numerous fragments by him published in Tavoosi 1987, 40 et seq).  He seems to have executed this piece only four years before his death in 1262/1846.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry			10.2 (w) x 17.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.15.6		intldl/ascs			18420000	text	tx	
ascs000060	resourceid|ascs-007,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.007	cll|unknown	Fragmentary poem of Hafiz (?)		15th-16th centuries (?)		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9 (w) x 3.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This small calligraphic fragment includes one line of poetry describing a lover's secret passion:%Di kaz bar-i tu garm guzashtam za bim-i ghayr%Yesterday I passed by you quickly for fear of the others%The text is executed in black nasta'liq script on a brown piece of paper.  The text is framed by cloud bands and placed on a gold background filled with subtle decorative motifs.  Several illuminated panels frame the top and bottom horizontals, while two black and gold borders decorate the right and left verticals of the text panel.  The composition is pasted to a larger sheet of salmon-colored paper backed by cardboard, which is damaged nonetheless by worm holes.%Although the line of text may have been executed in Persia as early as the 15th or 16th century, the illuminated frames appear to have been added at a later date either for conservation purposes or to embellish a fragment intended for inclusion in an album of calligraphies.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Poetry%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			18.2 (w) x 11.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.15.7		intldl/ascs			14000000	text	tx	
ascs000061	resourceid|ascs-008,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.008	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		unknown		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.3 (w) x 8.6 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 17-34 of the 80th chapter of the Qur'an entitled 'Abasa (He Frowned).  Surat 'Abasa is an early Meccan surah  containing 42 verses.  It describes an episode during which a blind man interrupted the Prophet while he was attempting to teach.  Because he wanted to learn the Qur'an, the Prophet excused the disruption and held the man in high honor.  The verses continue with an exaltation of revelation and the Qur'an:%It is indeed a Message of instruction. / Therefore let whoever will keep it in remembrance. / It is in Books held in honor, / Exalted, kept pure and holy, / Written by the hands of scribes, / Honorable, pious, and just. (80:11-16)%These Qur'anic verses are written in a fluid naskh script in dark brown ink.  Vocalization marks are also executed in brown ink, while orthoepics (pronunciation) marks --such as the duplication of a consonant (tashdid) and long "a" sounds (alif) --appear in red ink.  Verse markers consist of small gold and red circles or drops.  Notations in red ink indicating whether stopping recitation is allowed or not appear above the ayah (verse) markers as well.  The panel of calligraphy has been extracted from a Qur'an, provided with colored frames, and pasted onto a pink board for strengthening.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy			22.5 (w) x 14.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.10		intldl/ascs			0000	text	tx	
ascs000063	resourceid|ascs-030,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.030	cll|Abu  al-Ma'ali	Verses from Nizami's "Divan"		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 18.7 (w) x 12 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes several verses from Nizami's (d. 614/1218) "Divan" (Compendium of Poems).  Beginning with an invocation to God, the verses then describe how certain things and people fulfill a particular role in the world:%Har sanami-ra ka bar afrukhtand / Jama bar andanza-yi tan dukhtand / Mahram-i dawlat nabavad har sari / Bar-i Masiha nakashad har khari%(For) every idol that they fashioned / They sewed a robe the size of its body / Not everyone can be the confidant of power / Not every donkey can carry Jesus%The verses are executed in dark brown ink on a beige paper framed by a blue border.  It is pasted to a larger sheet of beige paper decorated with green flecks of paint and backed by cardboard.%The text is signed by a certain Abu al-Ma'ali, whose name appears in an opposite diagonal at the center of the composition.  Although sharing his name with the reputed calligrapher Abu al-Ma'ali 'Izz al-Din 'Abd al-Wahhab Zanjani (d. 606/1292), a disciple of Yaqut al-Musta'simi (Huart 1972, 82),  the Abu al-Ma'ali who composed this fragment in nasta'liq script must have been active at a much later date.  The composition, which recalls a number of Safavid calligraphic exercises (siyah mashq) in its formal make-up and calligraphic style, must have been executed during the 16th or 17th century.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq			36.5 (w) x 24 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.37		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000064	resourceid|ascs-032,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.032	cll|'Abd al-Bari al-Husayni	Praise (Madh) to 'Ali		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.8 (w) x 19.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes four lines of Shi'i poetry encouraging the seeker (talib) to derive spiritual knowledge of God by means of understanding the Prophet's son-in-law, 'Ali.  The verses read:%Ay talib, sirr-i haqq za asma' bitalab / Az ism natija-yi musammah bitalab / Bar dhat-i 'Ali ism-i mu'allah bar khwan / Vaz ism-i 'Ali fayz-i mu'allah bitalab%Oh seeker, search for the secret of Truth (God) from (His) Names / From the Name, search the epitome of What is Named  /  From the essence of 'Ali recite the name of the Exalted One / And from the name of 'Ali search the favor of the Lofty One%These verses draw on the symbolic dichotomy between the name (al-ism) and the named (al-musammah) and between essence (dhat) and manifestation (zuhur) found in discussions about God and His Beautiful Names (al-asma' al-husna).  The verses transform the theological theme into Persian poetry, while promoting a Shi'i understanding of God (the Goal) through 'Ali (the means).%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script framed by delicate cloud bands on a beige paper.  The text (most likely an invocation to God) in the upper right corner has been lost, while the lower left corner contains the signature of the calligrapher 'Abd al-Bari al-Husayni, who asks for forgiveness of his sins from God. 'Abd al-Bari al-Husayni may have been a calligrapher in nasta'liq script in 19th-century India.  The purple frame decorated with gold leafs and the brown sheet of paper backed by cardboard onto which the text panel has been pasted suggest an Indian provenance.%For a further discussion of God's "Beautiful Names" and the difference between a name (al-ism) and what is named (al-musammah), see al-Ghazali (d. 1111), "The Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God", trans. David Burrell and Nazih Daher (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1995).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			23.9 (w) x 36.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.39		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000065	resourceid|ascs-011,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.011	cll|Muhibb 'Ali	Military document		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 22.7 (w) x 11.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This document (sanad) is in the shape of a letter (namah) written in black nasta'liq script and outlined in cloud bands on a gold background.  The letter is addressed from a ruler to a certain Mirza Yadigar, from whom he requests military assistance.  As a result, the ruler sends a reputable fighter named Mirza Qilich (Qilich, meaning "sword" in Turkish) to the ruler.  Known as the "Rustam of his Day" (Rustam-i Zaman) due to his fighting prowess, Mirza Qilich provides military assistance in order the vanquish the ruler's adversaries.%As stated on the last line of text, the document was written (tahrir namud) by Muhibb 'Ali on 12 Jumadah I, 1220 (August 8, 1805)  The request for assistance may have been written by a Persian soldier to a military commander.  The Turkic name of the hero, Mirza Qilich, hints that the document may be related to clashes on the Ottoman Turkish-Persian border during the first decade of the  19th century, or perhaps in Afghanistan or Central Asia during the same period.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			34.6 (w) x 20.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.17		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000066	resourceid|ascs-087,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.087	cll|unknown	Petition to a ruler		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.4 (w) x 19.7 (h) cm%Script: Indian ta'liq%This fragment probably formed part of a collection of literary compositions (munsha'at) showing how to write appropriate praises and petitions to a ruler.  Like this piece, a number of these calligraphies appear to have been executed in ta'liq script in India during the 17th and 18th centuries  (see 1-85-154.94).  Other works of insha' providing exempla of how to compose letters to a friend made in India at this time also are held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-87-154.146a R et seq.).%This particular fragment shows how to compose a formal praise (na't or munajat) to a ruler using his many honorific epithets (alqab).  A number of laudations of the ruler's power (mulkuhu) and his rulership (sultanuhu) precede the formal request or petition ('ardh or 'arz).  In the penultimate diagonal line appears the date of 14 Jumadah I, although no year is specified nor is the piece signed by its calligrapher.%The composition is executed in black Indian ta'liq script framed by cloud bands on a beige paper.  The ink from another calligraphic fragment, formerly contained in the same album of calligraphies, seems to have bled onto this piece.  Several lines in reverse writing have stained the central calligraphic panel.  The text appears on a background painted in gold ink, is framed by a plain blue border, and is pasted to a pink sheet backed by cardboard.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian ta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			19.4 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.4		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000067	resourceid|ascs-047,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.047	cll|Muhammad Muhsin Lahuri	Quatrain on the virtue of patience		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.3 (w) x 20.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, on the need for endurance.  The verses read:%Raftam bi-tabib guftam az ghayat-i dard / Bimari-yi 'ishq-ra cha mibayad kard / Khun-i jigar ab-i dida sharbat farmud / Guftam ka ghaza guft jigar bayad kard%I went to the doctor, asked about my severe pain / (And) what could he do for my lovesickness / He ordered as a drink the blood of liver and water of the eye / I said: "What kind of food (is that)?," and he answered: "You must eat liver."%The doctor recommends his lovesick patient to endure (literally, "eat liver" or jigar khwurdan) the pains of love, as there is no medicinal potion that will cure him.%The verses are written diagonally in nasta'liq script in white ink on a light brown paper.  The calligrapher Muhammad Muhsin has signed his work (raqamahu, or "has written it") in the lower left corner.  On the verso of this fragment appears a later note in English attributing the work to a certain "Muhammad Muhsin Lahuri."  He can be identified as Muhammad Muhsin Lahuri, who may have have formed part of a group of calligraphers active in Lahore during the 18th century that included 'Abdallah Lahuri (1-04-713.19.43) and Muhammad Zahir Lahuri (1-04-713.19.40).  After the death of Aurangzeb (d. 1707), Mughal power was decentralized and royal patronage of calligraphy declined.  The rise of new styles emerged in cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Lahore, where calligraphers active in the nasta'liq script such as Muhammad Muhsin sought out patronage from local rulers.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq			22.3 (w) x 35.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.52		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000068	resourceid|ascs-103,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.103	cll|Muzaffar 'Ali (?)	Levha		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.8 (w) x 16.6 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic sheet states that "whoever writes the bismillah ("in the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful") in a beautiful writing enters Paradise without judgment." (Library of Congress 2001, 27).  This saying is quite popular in Ottoman calligraphic panels (qit'a), as "good handwriting" (husn-i khatt) was considered an outward manifestation of the religious and moral values cultivated by calligraphers.%This panel includes a minute signature at the bottom center of the lowermost register.  Although almost illegible today, it seems that the work was executed by a certain Mawlana Hasan (or Hamid) Hilli.  To the left of the erased signature appears the name of Muzaffar 'Ali, who probably was responsible for claiming the piece as his own.  This particular Muzaffar 'Ali remains unidentified, although he does share the same name as the famous painter-calligrapher who flourished during the reign of the Safavid Persian ruler Shah Tahmasp (d. 1576).%The text is executed in a large and beautiful nasta'liq script on a beige sheet of paper.  The letters are surrounded by very light traces of cloud bands.  The two lines of calligraphy are framed into two separate panels, provided with gold and colored frames, and pasted onto a pink cardboard for strengthening.%This kind of framed calligraphic inscription pasted onto a pasteboard is called a lawha (Arabic) or levha (Turkish), which means literally "tablet."  These kinds of compositions pasted onto cardboards are typical of Ottoman calligraphic practices during the 18th-19th centuries (Safwat 1992: 142-143).	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts			34 (w) x 25.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.56		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000069	resourceid|ascs-060,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.060	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		14th-15th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 10.5 (w) x 11.3 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 13 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Script: masahif%This fragment includes the 45th verse of the 29th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-'Ankabut (The Spider).  This verse initiates a new and separate section of the surah, in which the Qur'an is discussed as a sign of revelation, a tool in teaching the distinction between right and wrong, and a vehicle in understanding the Hereafter.  Verse 45 reads:%Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to you, / And establish regular prayer, / for prayer restrains from shameful] and unjust deeds; / and remembrance of God is the greatest thing without doubt. / And God knows what you do.%The verso of this folio contains verses 46 and 47 which continue verse 45 from the fragment's recto and initiates a new section (juz') in the Qur'an. In particular, verse 47 reads:%That is how We have revealed this Book to you, / And those to whom We have sent down the Book will believe in it. / Only those who disbelieve will deny it.%This particular Qur'anic fragment has placed the verses within a gold illuminated panel, in which the upper register includes a statement on red background that the text belongs to the third section (juz') of the Qur'an.  The text in the lower panel is partially lost due to damage.  The gold frame and marginal medallions with long finials provide an ornamental break in the Qur'an and thus serve as a visual reference point.%Executed in black masahif script, the text is surrounded by lightly outlined cloud bands.  In the interstitial spaces appear vine leaves and palmettes on a background of parallel striations.  Such motifs are typical of Mamluk Qur'ans produced in Egypt during the 14th and 15th centuries (see 1-88-154.8b R & V and 1-89-154.168 R & V).  Verse markers consist of six-petalled gold rosettes with blue and red dots on the perimeters.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Masahif%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy					Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.16		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000070	resourceid|ascs-013,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.013	cll|unknown	Prayer (Du'a) for forgiveness		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 20 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This calligraphic panel includes a number of prayers for increased faith (al-ziyadah  fi  al-iman), blessing (al-rizq), well-being (al-'afiyah), and good fortune (al-barakah) for its owner.  It also petitions for forgiveness (al-maghfarah) both before and after death (al-mawt).  Finally, it offers prayers for the Prophet Muhammad and his family and invokes God as the Most Merciful (arham al-rahimin).%The text is executed in black naskh script and is fully vocalized.  Separate parts of the text are divided by gold roundels, a structure reminiscent of Qur'anic verses.  Written on a beige sheet of paper, the text panel is framed by several borders and pasted to a larger brown sheet of paper backed by cardboard.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed.  However, text panels such as this one, providing various Arabic prayers in naskh script, were made by the famous naskh-revival Persian calligraphers Mirza Ahmad Nayrizi (d. 1152/1739) and Vassal-i Shirazi (d. 1262/1846) and their followers.  For these reasons, it is possible that this calligraphic fragment was made in Iran in the 18th or 19th century.%For a comparative piece signed by Vassal-i Shirazi and dated 1258/1842 held in the collections of the Library of Congress, see 1-04-713.15.6.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			24.2 (w) x 37 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.19		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000071	resourceid|ascs-018,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.018	cll|Muhammad Mahdi Husayni	Verses on perceived value		1252/1836-7		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.3 (w) x 13.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a Persian poem that describes how luxury goods like semi-precious stones and furs are devoid of any inherent worth.  Beginning with an invocation to "God, the Glorified" (huwa al-mu'izz), the verses read:%Giram ka sarirat az bulur u yashm ast / Sangi danad har an ka ura chasm ast / In masnad-i qafum u samur u sanjab / Dar dida-yi buriya nashinan pashm ast%I suppose your throne is made of crystal and jasper / Everyone who has an eye knows that they are just stone / That seat made from weasel and ermine (and with) a banner / To those who sit in wicker is but skin%The calligrapher Muhammad Mahdi Husayni states that he has written these lines (tahrir namud) on unpolished (bi-muhra) paper in the year 1252/1836-7, and also asks forgiveness for his sins.  As he notes, the paper he has used is not of high quality, neither is the gold background he has used to highlight the verses executed in black nasta'liq script framed by cloud bands.  Although Muhammad Mahdi Husayni remains unknown, he seems to have been a calligrapher in nasta'liq script active in 19th-century Iran or India.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			33.8 (w) x 21 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.23		intldl/ascs			18360000	text	tx	
ascs000072	resourceid|ascs-019,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.019	cll|Mir Kalan	Insha'		18th century		Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.2 (w) x 17.3 (h) cm%Verso: Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.3 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%This calligraphic fragment's recto includes an attribution note at the top stating that it was executed by Mir Kalan.  An otherwise unrelated document, perhaps from a ledger or accounting book, was torn out and pasted above the calligraphic sample.  It includes the words "inhabitant (sakin) of Lucknow," lending further support to the supposed Indian provenance of these materials.  In the lower left corner appears a squiggle motif.  The main text is executed in black ink on a white piece of paper framed in blue.  The writer begins his letter with three bayts (verses) of poetry about the enthusiasm of seeing one's close friends.  The writer then apologizes for having been busy with work and thus was unable or prohibited (mahrum) from visiting his friend.  He then concludes his letter with another bayt of poetry, which states that even though it is his fault that they are apart, he (the addressee) should know that the writer's heart is in his "dust," i.e., at his command.%The verso of this calligraphic fragment includes an attribution note at the top stating that it was executed by Mir Kalan.  The main text is executed in black ink on a beige piece of paper.  The letter begins with a bayt of poetry that states the lover should not push him away, as he has not committed any sins.  Then follows the letter proper, which is overwrought by metaphors to show the writer's friendship, love, and pain at separation.  He states: "I poured the salt (namak) of your friendship in my liver (jigar), and I planted the egg of your love in the field of my spirit."  Truly, he warns, if he were to write just a fraction of his sadness in this letter, this piece of paper (safha-yi kaghaz) would burn to ashes.  He concludes by stating that he cannot wait to see his friend in two or three days.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			19 (w) x 29.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.24		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000074	resourceid|ascs-009,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.009	cll|'Abd al-Rashid Daylami (attr.)	1st Page of Sa'di's Bustan		17th century		Script: nasta'liq%These calligraphic fragments are the first seven pages of Sa'di's Bustan (The Fruit Garden or The Orchard). The order of the first seven pages of this work all belonging to the same manuscript goes as follows:%Page 1: 1-04-713.19.26, Page 2: 1-04-713.19.15, Page 3: 1-04-713.19.14, Page 4: 1-04-713.19.12, Page 5: 1-04-713.19.13, Page 6: 1-04-713.19.11, Page 7: 1-04-713.19.25%Page 1: Shaykh Sa'di (d. 691/1292) composed his famous and beloved Bustan in 1256-7.  It contains histories, personal anecdotes, fables and moral instructions.  The first page provides a praise of God as an appropriate incipit to the text.  The first two lines read:%In the name of the Lord, Life-Creating, / The Wise One, Speech-Creating with the Tongue, / The Lord, the Giver, the Hand-Seizing, / Merciful, Sin-Forgiving, Excuse-Accepting.%As in this case, the first page of a Persian poetical text is easily recognizable, as it is provided with an ornamental panel at the top (sarloh) and the main text usually is decorated by cloud band motifs and decorative illumination between the text and in the gutter separating each verse of poetry.  The top frieze contains three yellow flowers -- perhaps intended to represent blooming saffron flowers (although the petals of saffron flowers tend to be of a light purple color) -- as well as a blue horizontal band decorated with a gold leaf and flower motifs.  The yellow-orange flower reappears on an otherwise unrelated calligraphic fragment in the Library of Congress (see 1-88-154.41 V).%This copy of the Bustan may have been produced in India during the 17th century.  The back of the second page (1-04-713.19.15) of this series includes a note supporting this provenance, as it states that the work was written by 'Abd al-Rashid Daylami.  He was one of the famous calligraphers active at the court of the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1656) in Agra and Delhi.%Page 2: The first few pages of text provide a praise of God.  On this page, the last two lines read:%Grace and Liberality Diffusing, and Work Executing / Because He (God) is the Possessor of Creation and Knower of Secrets / Grandeur and Pride are proper for Him, / Whose kingdom is ancient, and nature independent.%As in this case, the second page of a Persian poetical text is easily recognizable, as its main text usually is decorated by cloud band motifs and decorative illumination.  This follows the pattern established by the first page of text, which is provided with an ornamental panel at the top (sarloh) and also decorated with illumination (see 1-04-713.19.26).  Both initial pages also have a central gutter dividing the verses of poetry painted in blue and decorated with interlacing orange, gold, and yellow flowers.%Page 3: The text here, as in the rest of the pages, provides a praise of God as an appropriate incipit to the text.  The first two lines of poetry speak about God's decision to favor certain men:%He places the crown of fortune on the head of one, / He brings another from a throne to the dust. / This one (has) the cap of Good Fortune on his head, / That one the blanket of Misfortune on his body.%The text here, as in the rest of the pages, is executed in black nasta'liq script in twelve lines per page divided into two columns.  It is provided with a rather slapdash frame and is pasted to a sheet of paper decorated with flecks of gold.  The gold-flecked paper is also framed and pasted to a larger sheet of paper backed with cardboard.%Page 4: The sixth and seventh lines of poetry praise God's ability to create:%From the cloud, He casts a drop towards the ocean, / From the back-bone (of the father) He brings the seed into the womb. / From that drop, He makes an incomparable pearl, / And from this, He makes a form (of man) like the lofty cypress.%Page 5: The sixth and seventh lines of poetry eulogize the incomprehensible qualities of God:%Genius reaches not the substance of His nature, / Thought reaches not the profundity of His qualities. / One can attain to (the Arab poet) Suhban in eloquence, / (But) one cannot reach the substance of the Praised One (God).%Page 6: In the last two lines of poetry, Sa'di closes his eulogy by stating that he himself wishes to follow the path of the Prophet Muhammad:%That person, who chooses the way opposite of the Prophet / Will never arrive at the stage (of God) / Oh Sa'di, think not that the path of purity / One can travel, except behind the Chosen One (Mustafa, i.e., Muhammad).%Page 7: After six pages in praise of God, the text here provides an encomium of the Prophet Muhammad headed by a gold panel which should have included the title dar na't-i rasul (in praise of the Prophet).  The last two lines of poetry on this page extol the Prophet's miraculous ascension to the heavens (mi'raj):%One night he sat (on his flying steed Buraq) and passed through the heavens. / In majesty and grandeur, he exceeded the angels. / So impulsive, he urged (his steed) into the plain of closeness (to God) / While Gabriel remained behind him at the Lote Tree (of the Limit)	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			21.1 (w) x 33.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.26		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000075	resourceid|ascs-020,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.020	cll|unknown	Two Bayts (verses) on modesty		ca. 16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 18.7 (w) x 9.4 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes two bayts of poetry that describe people's desire to break or humble (shikastagi mikhwahand) the beloved:%Vahshi nigahan shikastagi mikhwahand / Muzhgan siyahan shikastagi mikhwahand / Dil niz bi-jan shikastagi mikhwahand / Kin kajkulahan shikastagi mikhwahand%They want to break the wild-eyed / They want to break the black-eyelashed / They want to break the heart from the spirit / They want to break the objects of beauty%In these repeating verses, the beloved ones or objects of beauty (literally, the "ones wearing crooked helmets," kajkulahan) are the target of violence and animosity.%Written in black nasta'liq script on orange paper decorated with light gold sprinkles, the text is provided with a gold frame and is pasted onto a blue-and-white marble (abri or ebru) paper strengthened with cardboard.  The fragment is neither signed nor dated, but the script and the marble paper suggest that it may have been produced in Iran or India during the 16th or 17th century.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			30.3 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.27		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000076	resourceid|ascs-021,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.021	cll|unknown	Levha (panel praising 'Ali)		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 33.4 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel is written in black nasta'liq on a brown surface and framed by two borders in plain green and blue decorated with gold stars.  The inscription provides an invocation of 'Ali through his many epithets:%Wali imam al-ins wa al-jinnah  haqqan al-Mustafa / The Sucessor of the Leader of Humankind and Spirits, the Mustafa in Reality%'Ali is described as the rightful Vice Regent of the Prophet Muhammad (i.e., Mustafa), a ruler of men and spirits, and a true manifestation of prophethood.  This invocation to the son-in-law of the Prophet shows that the piece must have been produced in a Shi'i milieu, most likely in India during the 18th-19th centuries.  The panel may have been included in an album of calligraphies or put on display on a wall.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts			37.4 (w) x 25.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.28		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000077	resourceid|ascs-024,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.024	cll|'Abd al-Majid	Ghazals by Sa'di		17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 4.9 (w) x 10.9 (h) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a number of lyrical verses, or ghazals, composed by Shaykh Sa'di (d. 691/1292).  Many of these verses express the pain at separation from a friend and exhort faithfulness to one's companions.  Sa'di's name appears in one of the verses at the very bottom of the right column.%The text is executed in black shikastah script and is surrounded by cloud band motifs on a background covered with gold leaf.  The central gutter separating the main text panel into two columns is decorated with interlacing blue flower and vine motifs.  The text panel is provided with several decorative frames and is pasted onto a blue paper ornamented with gold painted interlacing floral vines.%In the lower center of the text panel (that is, at the bottom of the central gutter) appears the calligrapher's signature.  It reads: "written by the servant 'Abd al-Majid" (mashaqahu al-'abd 'Abd al-Majid).  A note on the fragment's verso, not visible in this image, also states: "'Abd al-Majid, the inventor of shikasta, 17th century."%This is certainly Darvish 'Abd al-Majid al-Taliqani (d. 1185/1674-5), who resided in Isfahan, the capital city of Persia (Iran) during the 17th century.  He was a master calligrapher in nasta'liq and is credited with the invention of shikastah, a very fluid and literally "broken" script derivative of nasta'liq.  He was a poet in his own right and signed his poems with the pen-name (takhallus) "The Extinguished One," or Khamush (Tavoosi 1987, 34).%A number of works signed by 'Abd al-Majid in Iranian collections bear similarities to the fragment in the Library of Congress.  These typically are executed in black shikastah or shikastah- nasta'liq and are framed by gold cloud bands (see Tavoosi 1987: 35, 37, 63, 123, 151, 181, and 183).	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy			13.6 (w) x 21.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.30		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000078	resourceid|ascs-025,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.025	cll|unknown	Laylah and Majnun meet in school		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.9 (w) x 15.3 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment describes the first encounter between the star-crossed lovers Laylah and Majnun when they are children in school (maktab) as described in Nizami's (d. 614/1218) third book of his Quintet (Khamsah).  Nizami describes how Qays (a.k.a Majnun) was sent to school by his father in order to learn how to read and write.  One day, however, young Qays noticed a lovely girl with hair as black as night (literally, laylah) and fell deeply in love with her:%While all their friends were toiling at their books / These two were trying other ways of learning. / Reading love's grammar in each other looks, / Glances to them were marks which they were earning. / Their minds were freed from spelling by love's spell, / They practiced, writing notes full of caress. / The others learned to count, while they could tell, / That nothing ever counts but tenderness.%(Trans. R. Gelpke, "The Story of Layla and Majnun" [Oxford: B. Cassirer, 1966], p. 18).%The layout of this fragment, with text written in horizontal and diagonal lines, is called a "carpet" page. The triangular spaces left empty by the diagonal verses have been filled with illuminated decoration.  The "carpet" page structure is usually found at the end of a particular chapter or scene and oftentimes precedes a painting.  One can surmise that a depiction of Laylah and Majnun's encounter in school would have appeared immediately after this text folio.%The layout of the page and nasta'liq script are typical of manuscript's of Nizami's "Khamsah" produced in 16th-century Persia (Iran).  Paintings would have accompanied such a manuscript, as in the case of another fragment representing the fainting of Laylah and Majnun held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-86-154.123 R).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			11.7 (w) x 18.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.31		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000079	resourceid|ascs-026,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.026	cll|(Muhammad) 'Ali	'Id blessings		1142/1729-30		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.9 (w) x 22 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This calligraphic fragment provides Arabic blessings to a ruler on the occasion of 'id.  A number of the patron's epithets and titles are included in the text, which is executed in black naskh script on a beige paper.  The words are fully vocalized in black and are framed by cloud bands on a gold background.  The text panel is framed by a border decorated with red, blue, and green flower and vine motifs and is pasted to a larger salmon-orange colored piece of paper backed by cardboard.%In the lower left corner, the calligrapher (Muhammad) 'Ali has signed his work and dated it 1142/1729-30.  It appears that the original calligrapher's name, which included the name 'Ali, was erased purposefully.  It is possible, therefore, that the date constitutes a later corrective as well.%Nevertheless, text panels such as this one, providing various Arabic-language prayers in naskh script, were made by the famous naskh-revival Persian calligraphers Mirza Ahmad Nayrizi (d. 1152/1739) and his followers.  For this reason, it is seems most likely that this piece was executed by a Persian calligrapher active during the 18th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			18.8 (w) x 29.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.32		intldl/ascs			17290000	text	tx	
ascs000080	resourceid|ascs-029,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.029	cll|Kamal al-Din (Ikhtiyar al-Munshi)	Eulogy to a ruler		ca. 1500-1550		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14 (w) x 24.5 (h) cm%Script: various%This calligraphic fragment includes a central panel with an eulogistic composition (insha') to a king written in the "hanging" ta'liq script.  Except for one line written in black ink, all other horizontal and diagonal lines are written in white and outlined in black ink.  Above the text panel appears a bayt (verse) divided into two columns about the power of miracles (mu'jizat) composed by the great Persian poet Nizami (d. 614/1218).  The bayt is written in black nasta'liq script on beige paper.  All around the text panel appears a blue border inscribed with Arabic prayers (du'as) written in black ta'liq script.  The entirety of the composition is pasted to a large beige paper decorated with gold flecks and backed by cardboard.%In the lower right corner of the central text panel appears the calligrapher's signature in black ink.  It reads: mashaqahu al-faqir al-haqir ikhtiyar al-munshi, or "written by the poor, lowly, elderly secretary." Ikhtiyar al-Munshi ("the Elderly Secretary") was the nickname (laqab) of Kamal al-Din Husayn (d. 974/1566-7), a calligrapher active during the reign of the Safavid ruler, Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-76).  The monarch supported his work in Tabriz and offered him a number of rewards, which Kamal al-Din refused.  He also made him his personal secretary and bestowed upon him the honorific epithet "the Elderly, Royal Secretary" (Ikhtiyar al-Munshi al-Sultani).  Even though he was blind in one eye, he was a master of all calligraphic scripts, especially nasta'liq (Huart 1972, 232).  Judging from this specimen -- as well as others in the Library of Congress (1-87-154.157) and the Sackler Gallery of Art (29.63 and 29.64) -- he also was a master of ta'liq and tarassul.%He was a contemporary of Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri, one of whose works is held in the collections of the Library of Congresss (1-87-154.155).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			23.2 (w) x 35 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.36		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000081	resourceid|ascs-034,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.034	cll|Muhammad Zahir	Ruba'i of Hafiz		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 17.1 (w) x 9 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, by the famous Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9).  Beginning with an invocation to God as the Glorified (huwa al-'aziz), the verses read:%Anha ka khak-ra bi-nazar kimiya kunand / Aya buvad ka gusha-yi chasmi bi-ma kunand / Dardam nahufta bih za tabiban-i muda'i / Bashad ka az khizanah-yi ghaybam dava kunand%Those who turn dust to gold by the gaze, / Could they also glance at me from the corner of (their) eyes? / Hiding my pain from pretentious doctors is better. / May they cure (me) from the treasury of the invisible.%In these verses, Hafiz uses the metaphor of alchemy (al-kimiya) to describe a man's painful and ardent desire to witness the realm of God, where earthly dust (khak) turns to heavenly, gold-like radiance.%The text is executed in black nasta'liq script on a white-and-brown marble (abri or ebru) paper, cut out in cloud bands and outlined in red ink.  The text is pasted to another sheet of paper decorated with gold sprinkles, provided with several (rather shoddy) frames, and pasted to a beige sheet backed by cardboard.%In the lower right corner, the calligrapher Muhammad Zahir has signed his work, while a later note in English on the fragment's verso attributes the work to a certain  "Tahir Lahuri."  This is most likely Hafiz Muhammad  Zahir Lahuri, a calligrapher of Qur'ans and other texts in Lahore during the 18th century.  After the death of Aurangzeb (d. 1707), Mughal power was decentralized and royal patronage of calligraphy declined.  The rise of new styles emerged in cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Lahore, where calligraphers such as Muhammad Zahir sought out patronage from local rulers.%The same verses appear on another fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-04-713.19.43) written by 'Abdallah, a calligrapher also active in Lahore during the 18th century, thereby suggesting a dialectic relationship between the two pieces.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Indian nasta'liq			36.7 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.40		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000082	resourceid|ascs-035,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.035	cll|'Abdallah (Isfahani)	Quatrain on separation		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9 (w) x 16.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, that uses hyperbolic expressions to describe the all-consuming affection and pain of separation from a loved one:%Gar daham sharh-i arizumandi / atash andar nay-yi qalam girad / Var za bar-i firaq guyam baz / Qamat-i nuh sipihr kham girad%If I were to write an explanation of (my) wishes / A fire would burn up the reed of (my) pen, / And if I were to speak again of the burden of separation / The (upright) shape of the nine skies would hunch over.%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige sheet of paper.  The text panel is framed by three borders decorated with a variety of gold decorative motifs and is pasted to a light brown paper backed by cardboard.%In the lower left corner, the text is signed by the poor (al-faqir) 'Abdallah, who asks forgiveness from God.  Although the calligrapher is not identified any further here, a later note in English on the fragment's verso attributes the piece to a certain "'Abdallah Isfahani Mishkin Qalam."  This calligrapher is not well known, but his nisbah (place name) Isfahani indicates that he was originally from the city of Isfahan in Iran. His nickname "Musk-Black Pen" (Mishkin Qalam) is typical of a number of calligraphers as well.  'Abdallah Isfahani seems to have belonged to the school of calligraphers in the nasta'liq style active in 16th-century Isfahan,  the capital of Safavid Persia.  Chief among these appears Mir 'Imad -- perhaps one of 'Abdallah's contemporaries -- whose calligraphies are well attested to in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-85-154.77, 1-87-154.160, 1-90-154.162).	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			24 (w) x 36 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.41		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000083	resourceid|ascs-036,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.036	cll|unknown	Three bayts (verses) on worldly desires		Date: 18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 7.2 (w) x 19.4 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes three bayts of poetry in Persian which describe the true meaning of life in the following verses:%Dar in dirina dayr-i dir bunyad / 'Ajab ghafil nahad ast adami zad / Bi-ni'mat garcha 'umri baguzaranad / Nadanad qadr-i an ta dar namanad / Dar in sandal saraya abnusi / Gahi matam bavad gahi 'arusi%In this ancient monastery built in olden days / Strange that man's substance is so neglected / If he were to spend his whole life with riches / He would not know their value until they are lost / In this house of sandalwood and ebony / Sometimes (there is) mourning, at others a wedding%The poem describes the world as an ancient monastery and a house of sandalwood and ebony.  It is treacherous, as it takes back what it gives, but also comprised jointly of joys and sadness.  The true value of man's life must be sought elsewhere than in the acquisition of worldly goods.%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on beige paper and are outlined in cloud bands on a background painted in gold.  The text panel is framed by  blue and cream-colored borders decorated with gold flecks, and somewhat sloppily pasted to a larger sheet of brown paper backed by cardboard.%This calligraphic fragment is neither signed nor dated.  However, it may have been executed in Iran or India in the 18th or 19th century.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			18th-19th century		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.42		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000084	resourceid|ascs-037,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.037	cll|unknown	Ruba'i of Hafiz		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.1 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, by the famous Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9).  The verses read:%Anha ka khak-ra bi-nazar kimiya kunand / Aya buvad ka gusha-ya chasmi bi-ma kunand / Dardam nahufta bih za tabiban-i muda'i / Bashad ka az khizanah-ya ghaybam dava kunand%Those who turn dust to gold by the gaze, / Could they also glance at me from the corner of (their) eyes? / Hiding my pain from pretentious doctors is better. / May they cure (me) from the treasury of the invisible.%In these verses, Hafiz uses the metaphor of alchemy (al-kimiya) to describe a man's painful and ardent desire to witness the realm of God, where earthly dust (khak) turns to heavenly, gold-like radiance.%The text is executed in black nasta'liq script framed by cloud bands on a beige paper covered in gold leaf.  The gold leaf has crimped with age.  The text panel is framed by several (rather messy) borders and pasted to a larger sheet of paper backed by cardboard.%Although the fragment is neither signed nor dated, a note in English on the fragment's verso attributes the calligraphy to a certain "'Abdallah Lahuri."  This is most likely 'Abdallah Lahuri, a calligrapher active in Lahore during the 18th century.  After the death of Aurangzeb (d. 1707), Mughal power was decentralized and royal patronage of calligraphy declined.  The rise of new styles emerged in cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Lahore, where calligraphers such as 'Abdallah sought out patronage from local rulers.%The same verses appear on another fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-04-713.19.40) written by Muhammad Zahir, a calligrapher also active in Lahore during the 18th century, thereby suggesting a dialectic relationship between the two pieces.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			23.9 (w) x 36.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.43		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000085	resourceid|ascs-038,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.038	cll|unknown	Jahan Malak Khatun's prayer for power		19th-20th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 19.8 (w) x 8.3 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel includes three bayts (verses) of Persian poetry possibly composed by Jahan Malak Khatun, a female poet of the Qajar period (1797-1925).  Beginning with an invocation of God as forgiving (al-ghafur) and merciful (al-rahim), the verses then provide a repeated versified prayer (du'a) for the patron's continued power (mulk):%Ay dar baqaya dhat-i tu basta baqa-yi mulk / Bar qamat-i tu dukhta dawlat qaba-yi mulk / Mulk az siyasat-i tu chunan shud ka hich murgh / Gustakh par namizanad andar hava-yi mulk / Malak (or mulk)-i Jahan tua bi-du'a khwast az khuda / Vin yaft nasrat az barakat du'a-yi mulk%Oh, the continuity of power depends on the survival of your substance / Good fortune has sewn a cloak of power for your rank / Your policy on the land was such that not even one bird / Could fly away into the air of the country  / Malak-i Jahan (or the power of the world) wants you to invoke God / And this will will bring victory as blessings from the prayer of power%The diagonal verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper and framed by cloud bands on a gold background.  Blue and beige frames decorated with gold sprinkles have been pasted onto the sheet in a rather sloppy manner.%The text panel originally contained a signature in the lower left corner, which has been erased and is no longer legible.  As Jahan Malak Khatun was active in Persia (Iran) over the course of the 19th century, this particular fragment must have been produced sometime in the 19th or 20th century.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			36.5 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.44		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000086	resourceid|ascs-061,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.061	cll|unknown	Faux Kufi Qur'an		20th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 11 (w) x 7.8 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This piece constitutes a modern forgery of an early (9-10th century) Qur'an.  Written in imitation Kufi script in black and red ink on a beige paper, the text panel is framed with an illuminated border possibly cut out from an older Persian manuscript.  The text and illuminated border are pasted to a larger brown sheet of paper backed by cardboard.%These kinds of reproductions have appeared on the art market and seem to originate from one particular workshop engaged in imitating older Qur'ans and decorating them with illuminations salvaged from Persian manuscripts.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy			25.8 (w) x 18.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.17		intldl/ascs			19000000	text	tx	
ascs000087	resourceid|ascs-062,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.062	cll|Farid al-Din	Levha (panel) in honor of Imam 'Ali		19th century (?)		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.4 (w) x 15.1 (h) cm%Script: various%This single panel praises Muhammad's son-in-law  'Ali and his famous double-edged sword Dhu al-Fiqar, which he inherited from the Prophet, with the topmost statement executed in black ink: "There is no victory except  'Ali [and] there is no sword except Dhu al-Fiqar" (la fath ila 'Ali, la sayf ila Dhu al-Fiqar).  The vocalization for this proclamation is executed in red ink.%Immediately below the inscription eulogizing 'Ali appear several lines executed in red (vocalized in blue ink), blue (vocalized in red ink), and black (vocalized in red ink) praising the Imam, the Prophet Muhammad, and God.  The four diagonal lines executed in blue ink provide a supplementary eulogistic quatrain in honor of a ruler by drawing a parallel to the great Persian kings Jamshid and Feridun.%In the lower right corner, the artist Farid al-Din has signed his work with the expression katabahu Farid al-Din ("Farid al-Din wrote this").  Unfortunately, this single calligraphic panel (levha or lawha) is not dated.  As levhas are typical of 19th-century Turkish calligraphic traditions, it is quite possible that this piece was executed at the time for a patron with Shi'i inclinations either in Turkey or Iran.%Executed on a thick beige piece of  paper, the calligraphic panel is provided with a frame decorated with painted gold flower motifs.  The right and left vertical borders show vestigial traces of white-and-blue marble (ebru or abri) paper, suggesting that the panel at one time was pasted onto a sheet of marble paper and included in an album of calligraphies.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			26.2 (w) x 17.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.18		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000088	resourceid|ascs-063,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.063	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		15th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.5 (w) x 29.4 (h) cm%Script: thuluth (headings) and masahif (verses)%This Qur'anic fragment includes surahs 101-104, some of the shortest and final chapters of the Qur'an.  These are continued on the fragment's verso (see 1-84-154.19 V), as well as on another fragment held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-87-154.133 R & V).%At the top of the fragment appears the text, though not the chapter heading, of the 101st chapter entitled al-Qari'ah (The Calamity).  This particular surah describes the Day of Judgment, when men's deeds will be weighed to determine whether they will dwell in an abode of pleasure (Heaven) or a blazing fire (Hell).  Thereafter follows chapter 102, i.e. al-Takathur (The Piling Up), which warns of humans' inclination to gather worldly goods rather than to pursue the higher things in life.  Chapter 103, al-'Asr (Time and Age), continues with a praise for those who are constant and patient in life.  Finally, this fragment's recto includes at the bottom the chapter heading and initial bismillah of the 104th chapter entitled al-Humazah (The Slanderer), whose text appears on the fragment's verso (see 1-84-154.19 V).%The verso includes surahs 104 to 106, some of the shortest and final chapters of the Qur'an, continuing the text on the recto.  At the top of this fragment appears the text of al-Humazah.  This particular verse condemns insincerity, hypocrisy and backbiting. Thereafter follows chapter 105,  al-Fil (The Elephant), which refers to events that took place during the year of the Prophet's birth.  Finally, chapter 106, al-Quraysh (The Tribe of Quraysh),  appears at the very bottom of the folio.  This surah urges the worship of one single God.%The chapter headings include the total number of verses and are calligraphed in gold thuluth script on a blue and red background.  Verse markers consist of rosettes (shamsah) in gold with red centers, with twelve petals outlined in black and blue & red dots punctuating the perimeter.%The calligraphy used for the verses is masahif, a cursive script that is a smaller and less stiff version than muhaqqaq.  Its name, which means "codices" or "volumes," reflects its common use for copying the Qur'an.  Masahif and other bold cursive scripts such as naskh and muhaqqaq are typical of Qur'ans produced in Egypt during the 14th-15th centuries (James 1988: 16-21).	Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Masahif%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			30.5 (w) x 41 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.19		intldl/ascs			14000000	text	tx	
ascs000089	resourceid|ascs-023,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.023	cll|Mir Muhammad Salih	'Id  (feast day) Poem		1225/1810		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.2 (w) x 15.3 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This calligraphic panel includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, signed by the calligrapher Mir Muhammad Salih.  He has signed and dated his work in the lower left corner with the note "raqamahu Mir Muhammad Salih, 1225" (written by Mir Muhammad Salih, 1225/1810).  Although little is known about the calligrapher, the date proves that this work dates from the early 19th century.%The text is executed in black (Indian) naskh script on a beige sheet of paper framed in a blue border decorated with gold leaf and vine motifs.  Before the quatrain begins, a short invocation of God reading "He is the Forgiving " ( huwa al-ghafur), appears in the upper right corner.  Then follows the quatrain, which reads:%'Id ast may-ya nishat dar jam-i tu bad / Julangah-i mah-i 'id bar bam-i tu bad / Har khal'at-i iqbal ka duzad gardun / Ay kan-i karam rast bar andam-i tu bad%It is 'id, may the wine of joy be in your glass / May the circus of the moon of 'id be on your roof / Every robe of fortune that the firmament sewed / Oh, Generous Mineral, may it fit you properly!%This poem wishes a ruler (nicknamed a "Generous Mineral," or kan-i karam) fortune and happiness on the occasion of 'id.  This may well be the festival ('id) of New Year (noruz) that is, the Spring equinox (March 21st) marking the beginning of the solar calendar as celebrated in Iran and parts of India.  It appears that this calligraphic panel was executed on such an occasion to celebrate the New Year and to wish a patron prosperity for the years to come.  This practice of offering good wishes in written form during New Year's celebrations is attested to in a number of other calligraphic specimens in the Library of Congress (see 1-04-713.19.48, 1-04-713.19.49,  and 1-84-154.51).	Local|Naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry			21.5 (w) x 35.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.3		intldl/ascs			18100000	text	tx	
ascs000090	resourceid|ascs-028,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.028	cll|unknown	Wise saying (hikmah)		18th-19th centuries		This calligraphic fragment includes a proverb (hikmah) on the virtues of helping the poor (al-fuqara') and endurance in hardship.  These qualities increase faith in the heart of the believer (fi qalb al-mu'min).%The proverb begins on the penultimate line, continues on the last line of the text panel, and runs sequentially from the first line down.  Several words are lost, replaced, and misspelled, suggesting that the piece was cut out (or salvaged) and pasted to this folio.%The text is executed in black naskh script on a biege paper and is framed by cloud bands on a gold background.  The text panel is provided with two ornamental frames: The first is green with gold interlacing vines, while the second is white and decorated with pink and purple flower and leaf motifs.  The text panel is then pasted to a larger sheet of salmon-orange colored paper decorated with flower motifs painted in gold and backed by a cardboard for strengthening.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed.  However, text panels such as this one, providing various Arabic-language prayers or proverbs in naskh script, were made by the famous naskh-revival Persian calligraphers Mirza Ahmad Nayrizi (d. 1152/1739) and Vassal-i Shirazi (d. 1262/1846) and their followers.  For these reasons, it is possible that this  calligraphic fragment was made in Iran in the 18th or 19th century.%For a comparative piece signed by Vassal-i Shirazi and dated 1258/1842 held in the collections of the Library of Congress, see 1-04-713.15.6.%Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.8 (w) x 16.7 (h) cm%Script: naskh	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			19.5 (w) 21.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.35		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000091	resourceid|ascs-031,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.031	cll|Mir  'Ali Heravi (attr.)	Quatrain on divine mercy		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.4 (w) x 17.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, a few words of which are lost due to water damage.  After an invocation to God as the "King of Kings" ("Ya Malak al-Muluk"), the poem reads:%Tu ankasi ka za baran fath-i bab guft / Mazaj-i sang shavad musta'id-i nashv u nama / [...] bastat abr zalabar shavad / [...] shudan muj-i fana%You are that person who said about rain that / Even the stone is capable of beginning to flourish. / [...] when the cloud opens, it is full of dew / [...] to become the wave of annihilation.%The poem praises God's mercy as a torrential rain, allowing humans to find annihilation (fana') in the Divine.  This spiritual blossoming resembles the growth of plants on the surface of a hard stone.%On the back of this fragment appears the inscribed attribution "Mawlana Sultan Mir 'Ali," intended to identify the calligrapher whose name was either lost or erased on the fragment's recto.  If this attribution is accepted, then one may conjecture that this work was executed by the great Persian calligrapher Mir 'Ali Heravi (d. 951/1544-5), who was active in the city of Herat (in modern-day Afghanistan) during the 16th century until he was taken to Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan) in 935/1528-9 by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydallah Khan Uzbek (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 126-131).  He not only was a master calligrapher and the creator of nasta'liq script, but also was a poet in his own right, having composed a number of sample verses (qit'as) in honor of his patrons.  This particular example may well have been written by Mir 'Ali for one of his benefactors, as he may have seen it fit to draw a poetic parallel between God's omnipotence and the earthly ruler's authority.%Other calligraphic fragments written by, or attributed to, Mir 'Ali are held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  For the purposes of comparison, see 1-87-154.158, 1-87-154.159, 1-88-154.65, and 1-90-154.180.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			24.2 (w) x 35.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.38		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000092	resourceid|ascs-033,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.033	cll|crossed out	'Id  (feast day ) Prayer		18th century (?)		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.2 (w) x 16.9 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a poetical prayer wishing its owner happiness and prosperity on the occasion of the festival ('id) of New Year (Noruz).  Beginning with a (now barely legible) invocation to God as the Glorious (huwa al-'aziz),  the verses then read:%Ay rukhat 'id u abruyat mah-i 'id / Mah u salat khujasta bad u sa'id / Dida rushan mabad bi-ruyat / Qibla-yi khalq taq-i abruyat%Oh, your face is 'id and your eyebrow is the moon of 'id / May your month and year be auspicious and happy / May my eye not be bright without seeing you / The arch of your eyebrow is the prayer direction of (all) people%The text is written in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper and is framed by cloud bands on a gold background.  The text panel is provided with blue and green frames and is pasted to a larger sheet of pink paper backed by cardboard.  It seems like a calligrapher's signature may have been placed in the lower right corner of the text panel.  However, it now is illegible due to water damage.%Judging from the fragment's theme (e.g. see 1-04-713.19.3, 1-04-713.19.49, 1-04-713.19.48, 1-84-154.51, and 1-85-154.99), it is possible to suggest that the piece was executed in India sometime during the 18th or 19th century as a New Year's gift to an eminent patron.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			22 (w) x 35 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.4		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000093	resourceid|ascs-039,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.039	cll|Sultan Hafiz Muhammad 'Ali (attr.)	Two bayts (verses) of poetry		1006/1597-8		Dimensions of Written Surface: 7.5 (w) x 16.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes two unrelated bayts of poetry in Persian.  The first two lines read:%Kas ba chumani chara satizad / Az kushtan-i khun-i man cha khizad%Why does anybody fight with someone like me? / What comes from killing me and shedding my blood?%And the last two lines read:%Budi shab u ruz dar baharan / Abr az ghamm-i u sarashk baran%During the night and day of Spring, / The cloud was crying because of its sorrow%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script in diagonal on a beige sheet of paper.  Gold and blue borders are rather sloppily pasted on.%In the lower right corner of the text panel appears the year (sanah) 1006/1597-8.  Although the calligraphic piece is not signed, a note on the verso attributes the work to a certain Sultan Hafiz Muhammad 'Ali, the brother of Hafiz Nur Allah.  This calligrapher may be Mawlana Sultan Muhammad, the son (not brother) of Mawlana Nur Allah (Qadi Ahmad 1959, 134) and a pupil of the famous Persian calligrapher Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi (d. 920/1514, see 1-84-154.33).  However, the work's date of 1597-8, that is, more than 80 years after Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi's death, seems too late to support such an identification.  Although Sultan Hafiz Muhammad is not clearly identifiable, the calligrapher who executed this fragment was certainly a Safavid master of nasta'liq script.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq			22.5 (w) x 36 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.45		intldl/ascs			15970000	text	tx	
ascs000094	resourceid|ascs-040,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.040	cll|Muhammad Riza Kitabdar	Quatrain on freedom		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.8 (w) x 17.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, promoting personal independence and the renunciation of attachment (khatir) to people and places.  Beginning with an invocation to God as the Glorified (huwa al-mu'izz), the verses read:%Bi-hich yar mada khatir u bi-hich diyar / Ka barr u bahr farakh-ast u adami bisyar / Garat hazar badi' ul-jamal pish ayad / Babin u buguzar u khatir bi-hich yak masapar%Do not get tied to any person or to any place / Because the land and sea are vast and people are many / If a thousand beautiful ones come towards you / Look, move on, and do not get attached to anybody%Executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper, the verses are highlighted from the cloud motifs formed by the gold painted background.  The text panel is decorated by salmon and blue borders decorated with gold motifs and pasted to a larger sheet of brown paper backed by cardboard.%In the lower left corner, the calligraphic specimen has been signed by a certain Muhammad Riza "Kitabdar" ("the Librarian").  On the verso of this fragment, a later note attributes the work to a certain "Muhammad Riza Lahuri" as well.  Judging from these two notes, it appears that Muhammad Riza was a librarian-calligrapher active in Lahore.  He may have formed part a group of calligraphers active in Lahore during the 18th century, which included 'Abdallah Lahuri (1-04-713.19.43), Muhammad Zahir Lahuri (1-04-713.19.40), and Muhammad Muhsin Lahuri (1-04-713.19.52).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			23.8 (w) x 36.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.46		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000095	resourceid|ascs-041,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.041	cll|unknown	Prayer for God's mercy		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.1 (w) x 22.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a Persian poem seeking the mercy and assistance of God.  The verses read:%Ay mihr-i sipihr-i sar farazi / Vay gawhar-i bahr-i bi-niyazi / Daram za 'anayat-i tu umid / Kaz lutf u karam mara navazi%Oh Sun of the proud skies, / Oh Gem of the sea freed from need, / I have hope (to receive) your favor, / Kindness, generosity, and support of me%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper.  A small and rather sloppy frame has been pasted to the text panel and onto a larger sheet of paper backed by cardboard.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed, but may have been executed in Iran or India sometime during the 18th or 19th century.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			22.1 (w) x 34.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.47		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000096	resourceid|ascs-042,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.042	cll|Agha'i	New Year's (Noruz) poem		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9 (w) x 15.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, signed by the calligrapher Agha'i.  He has signed his work: "written by the poor Agha'i," or "katabahu al-faqir Agha'I".  Unfortunately, nothing is known about this calligrapher, and the approximate date of the piece (17th-18th centuries) must remain conjectural.%The quatrain is written in black nasta'liq script on a piece of paper framed in blue and pasted to a brown paper strengthened with cardboard.  The poem reads as follows:%Tura ay iftikhar-i dawlat u din / Sa'adat yarvar u dawlat qarin bad / Mubarak bar tu bada 'id-i noruz / Mudamat yar-i 'ishrat hamnashin bad%For you, Pride of Government and Religion / May happiness be your aide and may fortune be beside you. / Congratulations to you on the festival of New Year's / May you always sit side by side [with happiness and fortune].%This poem wishes a ruler everlasting happiness and good fortune on the occasion of New Year's.  This New Year, or noruz, is most likely the Spring equinox (March 21st) marking the beginning of the solar calendar as celebrated in Iran and parts of India.  It appears that this calligraphic panel was executed on such an occasion to celebrate the New Year and to wish a  patron prosperity for the years to come.  This practice of offering good wishes in written form during New Year's celebrations is attested to in a number of other calligraphic specimens in the Library of Congress (see 1-04-713.19.3, 1-04-713.19.49,  and 1-84-154.51).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			19.9 (w) x 31.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.48		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000097	resourceid|ascs-043,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.043	cll|unknown	'Id (feast day) Blessing		18th century (?)		Dimensions of Written Surface: 22.1 (w) x 8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel executed in nasta'liq script on a beige paper sprinkled with gold flecks is provided with a (water damaged) frame and is pasted to a brown piece of paper strengthened with cardboard.  Between the two lines of calligraphy, which offer a prayer to a ruler on the occasion of 'id, appears another small fragment cut out and pasted in the center left.  It reads: "In the name of Muhammad and Muhammad's family [prayers upon them] (bi-haqq-i Muhammad wa Al-i Muhammad, slm.).  The two main lines of calligraphy read:%haqq-i ta'ala in 'id-ra bi-dhat 'ali (ya) / Navab Sahib dama iqbaluhu mubarak va humayun gardanad%On this 'id, may God the Exalted bring to the high essence of our Majesty, / Navab Sahib, everlasting, blessed, and good fortune.%This poem wishes a ruler (described as a "high essence," or dhat 'ali) everlasting happiness and good fortune on the occasion of 'id.  This festival may be New Year (noruz), that is, the Spring equinox (March 21st) marking the beginning of the solar calendar as celebrated in Iran and parts of India.  An Indian provenance is supported by the fact that the title "Navab Sahib" was used, for example, by rulers of the Junagadh province in northern India from the 18th to the 20th centuries.%It appears that this calligraphic panel was executed to celebrate the New Year and to wish a princely patron unending prosperity.  This practice of offering good wishes in written form during New Year's celebrations is attested to in a number of other calligraphic specimens in the Library of Congress (see 1-04-713.19.3, 1-04-713.19.48,  and 1-84-154.51).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			35 (w) x 22.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.49		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000098	resourceid|ascs-044,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.044	cll|unknown	Three Ghazals by Tabib Isfahani		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 4.3 (w) x 13.7 (h) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment contains three lyrical poems (ghazals) by 'Abd al-Baqi known as Tabib Isfahani.  He was a court physician (Tabib) to the Persian ruler Nadir Shah (r. 1736-47) and a prolific writer whose many verses form part of  his "Divan" (Compendium of Poems).  His signature (takhallus) "Tabib" appears in the verses.%The first ghazal rhymes with "payda" (found), the second ghazal rhymes with "ra" (the accusative marker), and the third ghazal rhymes with "aftada ast" (happened, occurred).  All three ghazals describe the faithfulness of a lover and the sadness felt upon separation from the beloved.  The lover describes his pain while simultaneously advising himself not to complain and to be patient in the face of adversity.%The text is executed in minute shikastah-nasta'liq script diagonally in two columns, separated with two plain vertical lines painted in gold.  The text page is made of cream-colored paper and is framed with borders painted in purple, light green, and gold.  The text and its frame are pasted to a larger sheet of pink paper backed with cardboard for strengthening.%As Tabib Isfahani was a poet of the 12th/18th century, this fragment in all likelihood was executed during Nadir Shah's reign, that is, around the middle of the 18th century.  As the ruler is best known for his invasions of Mughal India -- he sacked Delhi and Lahore and brought back the famous Peacock Throne to Iran -- this piece may have been executed while the ruler was based in India (1738-39).  There, it was later remounted and perhaps included in an album of calligraphies.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			14.5 (w) x 25.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.5		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000099	resourceid|ascs-045,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.045	cll|Hafiz Muhammad  Sa'd al-Din	Invocations to 'Ali		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.5 (w) x 18 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes two bayts  (verses) invoking the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law 'Ali through his various epithets.  Beginning with an invocation to 'Ali as the Greatest (ya 'Ali al-a'ala), the verses then read:%Ay shir-i khuda, amir-i haydar fathi / Vay qal'a gusha-yi dar-i khaybar fathi / Darha-yi umid bar rukham basta shuda / Ay sahib-i dhu al-fiqar va qanbar fathi%Oh Lion of God, Leader of Haydar, victory! / Oh, Stormer of the door of the Castle of Khaybar, victory! / The doors of hope have shut on my face. / Oh Possessor of (the sword) Dhu al-Fiqar and (the servant) Qanbar, victory!%'Ali is petitioned through his many names, attributes, and historical exploits to bring about hope and victory.%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a white-and-blue marbled (abri or ebru) paper.  The text panel is provided with a rather sloppy golf-flecked frame and is pasted to a larger sheet of brown paper backed by cardboard.%In the lower left corner of the text panel, the calligrapher Hafiz Muhammad Sa'd al-Din states that he has written this text (mashaqahu) and asks for God's forgiveness for his sins.  The number 205 appears as well, which may indicate that the piece was executed in 1205/1790-1.  Although Hafiz Muhammad Sa'd al-Din cannot be identified in historical sources, he appears to have been a calligrapher in nasta'liq script active in 18th-century Iran or India.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq			23.3 (w) x 35.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.50		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000100	resourceid|ascs-046,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.046	cll|Muhammad Riza al-Din	A praise of calligraphy		1243/1828-9		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.3 (w) x 19 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes several verses praising the practice of calligraphy.  Beginning with an invocation of "God, the Great" (Allahu Akbar), the verses then read:%Qit'a nazr-i Asaf-i Jam iqtidar avarda-am / La'l u yaqut u zumurrud-ra bi-kar avarda-am / Khatt-i khush-ra bahtar az la'l u javahir gufta-and / Yak javahirkhana-ra bahr-i nisar avarda-am%I have brought a small vow (for you to be like) Asaf of Jam / I have used garnet, ruby, and emerald / They have said that beautiful handwriting is better than garnet and gems / I have brought (you) a house-full of gems as an offering%The poet describes a fragment of a vow to be similar to a fragment (qit'a) of calligraphy (khatt-i khush), and as a result this panel functions as an offering (nisar) as precious as all the gems in the world.  The blue border decorated with flecks of gold serves as a visual echo to the poem's contents.%Around the border of the text panel, the calligrapher Muhammad Riza al-Din specifies that he wrote (katabahu) the verses in 1243/1828-9.  He also states that the piece is written for his glory ('izz) and dignity (sharaf), if it is accepted (gar qabul aftad). Although Muhammad Riza al-Din is not known, he appears to have been a calligrapher in the nasta'liq style active in 19th-century Iran.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			23.6 (w) x 36.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.51		intldl/ascs			18280000	text	tx	
ascs000101	resourceid|ascs-048,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.048	cll|Muhammad Qamar al-Din	'Id  (feast day) Quatrain		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.3 (w) 16.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment provides an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, written in nasta'liq script by the calligrapher Muhammad Qamar al-Din.  In the top right corner, he has stated that the piece was either written by himself or copied for himself ("li-raqamihi").  He also has signed the quatrain in the lower left corner with the expression "katabahu (written by) Muhammad Qamar al-Din."  Nothing is known about this calligrapher, although the steady nasta'liq script suggests that it was executed in Persia (Iran) sometime during the 16th or 17th century.%The text is framed by cloud bands executed in black ink and highlighted with gold paint, around which a blue frame with interlacing gold vine motifs has been pasted somewhat sloppily.  The poem reads:%Ta dahad-i 'id maya-yi barakat / hajiyan-ra surur dar 'arafat / Bad chun gusfand-i qurbani / Jumla-yi a'ada-yi qibla-yi hajat%In as much as  'id is the month of blessings / And makes pilgrims (go) to 'Arafat / Like sacrificial sheep, / May all your enemies be in the "Direction of Pilgrims"%The poem's imagery revolves around the activities linked to the celebrations of 'id al-qurban or  'id al-adha (the feast of sacrifice), which marks the end of the pilgrimage rites on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijja.  Drawing on the symbolism of the direction of prayer (qibla), the poet describes a ruler as the "Direction of Pilgrims" and wishes him the defeat of his enemies.  These lines were probably written on 'id al-qurban in order to eulogize a patron, as they draw on the metaphorical potential of religious activities taking place at that time.%Other poems written for rulers during the celebrations of pilgrimage or to usher in the New Year are held in the Collections of the Library of Congress.  See 1-04-713.19.3, 1-04-713.19.48, 1-04-713.19.49, and 1-84-154.51).	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			24.2 (w) x 35 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.53		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000102	resourceid|ascs-049,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.049	cll|Munshi Ram (attr.)	The sound of insanity		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10 (w) x 18.1 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes four verses of poetry in Persian describing the simple mark and sound of insanity (i.e., the chain).  The verses read:%Man u zanjir ka / Hamnala bi-rah aftadim / Dasht divana juda / Shurash u farzana juda%I and the chain that / Were walking and lamenting together / (that is what) causes the separation between craziness  / and enjoyment and wisdom.%The text is written in nasta'liq script in white ink on a red ground.  The lines of text are separated by green or blue bands decorated with flower and vine motifs painted in gold.%In the lower right corner appears the calligrapher's signature: "katabahu al-'abd al-haqar al-anam" (written by the servant, the most humble of mortals), Munshi Ram.  This calligrapher may be identified as Munshi Ram (1737-90), a writer specializing in Arabic and Persian who was active in Radhanagar, West Bengal (India).%Another specimen signed by Munshi Ram is held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-04-713.19.55).  Judging from both specimens, he seems to have been an 18th-century calligrapher who preferred writing verses in nasta'liq script using white ink on red backgrounds.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			24 (w) x 36.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.54		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000103	resourceid|ascs-050,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.050	Munshi Ram (attr.)	Verses on the beloved		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8 (w) x 14 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes four lines of Persian poetry describing the heavenly scent and life-endowing capabilities of the beloved:%Agar cha mushk-i az far khush nasim ast / Dam-i jan bakhsh chun buyat nadarad / Maqam-i khub u dilkhwah-st firdaws / Valikin runaq-i kuyat nadarad%Although musk smells fragrant / It does not breathe life like your scent / Paradise is a good and beloved place / But it is not as splendid as your abode%The text is executed in nasta'liq script in white ink on a red background.  Blue panels decorated with gold flower and leaf motifs separate and frame the lines of text .  Other monochromatic frames also appear on the larger sheet of beige paper backed by cardboard onto which the text panel has been pasted.%Although the calligraphic specimen is neither signed nor dated, a later note on the fragment's verso attributes the piece to a certain "Munshi Ram."  This calligrapher may be identified with Munshi Ram (1737-90), a writer specializing in Arabic and Persian who was active in Radhanagar, West Bengal (India).%Another specimen signed by Munshi Ram is held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-04-713.19.54).  Judging from both specimens, he seems to have been an 18th-century Indian calligrapher who prefered writing verses in nasta'liq script using white ink on red backgrounds.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			24.1 (w) x 35.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.55		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000104	resourceid|ascs-051,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.051	cll|unknown	Page from an unidentified text		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 5.4 (w) x 12 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%The recto and verso of his calligraphic fragment contains portions of an unidentified Persian text about the futility of the world.  The text continues on the fragment's verso (1-04-713.19.6 V) which includes a chapter, provided with a heading in red ink in the center of the text panel,  providing a description (sifat) of craftsmen in a particular land.%The text is executed in a rather hasty nasta'liq script written horizontally in two columns and diagonally in one column.  A number of lines are lost due to water damage.  The text and folio frames consist of a number of borders in gold, red, and blue, while the text's margins are decorated with a series of floral sprays and leaves painted in gold.%The script and page layout suggest that this fragment was executed in Iran or India during the 17th or 18th century.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			17.5 (w) x 28.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.6		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000105	resourceid|ascs-052,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.052	cll|(illegible)	Persian prose and poetry		5 Jumadah II 1156/ 27 July 1743		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.4 (w) x 22.7 (h) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment is executed in gold ink on brown leather.  The text is written in shikastah-nasta'liq and comprises a selection of Persian excerpts in both poetry (nazm) and prose (naskh).  These passages are written in diagonal and are framed by cloud band motifs.  The text is framed by a blue border decorated with flowers and pasted to a pink sheet ornamented with gold leaf and flower motifs.%There is a small hole in the brown leather, below which a note states that this calligraphic piece was finished in the morning (subh) of Saturday (Shambah) the 5th of Jumadah II 1156, or Saturday 27 July, 1743.  Close to the date appears a note specifying that the work was commissioned by a certain Mawlana [...].  The name of the calligrapher, apparently inscribed in red ink in the center of the composition, unfortunately is illegible.  The script is typical of calligraphic work executed in 18th-century Iran, which witnessed the gradual development of shikastah script from its nasta'liq roots.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			19.7 (w) x 29.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.7		intldl/ascs			17430000	text	tx	
ascs000106	resourceid|ascs-227,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.227	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		11th-12th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: (a) 8.8 (w) x 13.2 (h) cm, (b) 9 (w) x 13.4 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: (a) 8.5 (w) x 13.3 (h) cm, (b) 8.5 (w) x 13.1 (h) cm%Script: Kufi (New Style I)%These two calligraphic fragments include verses from the 11th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Hud (The Prophet Hud).  The first fragment's verso includes  verses (116-123) of Surat Hud, as well as the chapter heading and first four verses of the next (12th) surah entitled Yusuf (Joseph).  Surat Hud provides a number of stories linked to the prophets (e.g., Noah and Moses), which stress the moral lessons learned through such narratives.  Many verses are eschatological in character and warn of the punishment awaiting sinners:%The Day it arrives, no soul will speak except by His leave; / of those gathered some will be wretched and some blessed. / Those who are wretched will be in the Fire; / There will be for them nothing but the heaving of sighs and sobs (11:105-6)%And O my people! Give just measure and weight, / Do not withhold from people the things that they are due. / Commit no evil in the land with intent to do mischief. (11: 85)%All that we relate to you about the stories of messengers, / With it we make firm your heart. / In them Truth comes to you,  / As well as an exhortation  / and a message of remembrance to those who believe (11:120)%At the center of the verso of the first fragment  appears the chapter heading of Surat Yusuf, executed in gold ink and outlined in black, specifying that the chapter contains 111 verses (ayahs).  On the heading's side, a lightly painted blue and gold finial jets out into the folio's right margin as a visual marker for the beginning of a new chapter.  Unfortunately, part of the finial is lost due to a later cropping of the folio's margin.  Surat Yusuf narrates in detail the story of Joseph (similar but not identical to Genesis 37-50), sold into slavery by his brothers and later present at the Egyptian court.  The narrative takes on symbolic proportions since it transforms into a parable for the search of true and divine love.%The first verse of Surat Yusuf begins with the three mysterious letters alif-lam-ra (a-l-r), which initiate three other surahs (11,14, and 15).  Some scholars believe that mystical meanings may be read into these abbreviated letters (al-muqatta'at).  Within this context the combination "a-l-r" may be seen as an esoteric stand-in for God, since his epithet "the Merciful" (al-rahman) begins with the letters a, l, and r.%The text is executed in Kufi script (New Style I) with thick strokes of black ink, and vowels are marked by red dots.  Some diagonal lines representing diacritical marks were added at a later date.  Verse markers are very simple and are comprised of a filled gold central circle outlined by a thin external ring also executed in gold ink.  The script is typical of Qur'ans executed during the 10th-13th centuries (Droche 1992: 181-183, cat. no. 98)%In the  margins appear a number of decorative shapes: first a gold virgule and, in the center of the folio, a gold and blue roundel marked in the center with a the letter "waw."  In the lower right corner of the first fragment there appears a small rectangular panel that repairs a lost portion of the paper and text.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Kufi (New Style I)%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			12.2 (w) x 17.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.177ab		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000107	resourceid|ascs-122,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.122	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: a Recto: 7.5 (w) x 4 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: a Verso, b Recto and Verso: 8 (w) x 4 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%These fragments include verses from the 17th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel) or al-Isra' (The Night Journey).%Surat Bani Isra'il describes a number of different events, including the Prophet Muhammad's night journey (isra') to Jerusalem and his ascension (mi'raj) through the skies.  The verses (73-84) on the two fragments in the Library of Congress describe the value of prayer and the Qur'an.%We sent down in the Qur'an / that which is a healing and a mercy / to those who believe. / To the unjust it causes / Nothing but loss after loss. (17:82)%Everyone acts according to his own disposition. / But your Lord knows best  / Who is best guided on the way. (17:84)%These Qur'anic fragments are written in Kufi script (D.Va) on parchment.  The recto of the first fragment has been executed on the hair side of the parchment, so the ink has not worn off substantially.  The main text in the center of the folio is in black ink at 5 lines per page.  Vocalization is marked by red and gold dots.  Gold dots appear rather infrequently in Qur'ans produced during the 9th century (see Droche 1992: 70, cat. no. 22).  On the recto and verso other diacritical marks are executed in black ink and most likely date from a later period.  On the 4th line of the recto of the first fragment appears an ayah marker separating verse 73 from verse 74: it consists of a gold rosette.  On the verso at the end of the 1st line appears an ayah marker separating verse 74 from verse 75, it is in the shape of a gold rosette.  On the last line appears another ayah marker separating verse 75 from verse 76.  Because it separates a fifth verse, it is shaped differently, here as the gold Arabic letter ha'  (h).%The lower left corner of the parchment was lost on the first fragment but repaired probably at the same time as the folio was mounted on an elaborate frame made of brown paper, decorated with gold vine scrolls and Qur'anic inscriptions executed in imitation of the original Kufi script as found in the central panel.  On the left vertical, an illuminated headpiece (sarloh) with stippled gold designs decorates the folio as if it were the incipit page to a Persian poetical work. It is very unusual to find this kind of combination, although salvaging and remounting calligraphic fragments into albums occurs regularly during the Timurid and Safavid periods (see David Roxburgh, "The Persian Album, 1400-1600: From Dispersal to Collection" [New Haven and London: Yale University Press], 2005).	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi			18.3 (w) x 12.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.76a-b		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000108	resourceid|ascs-256,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.256	cll|Hakim Sayyid Hamid 'Abbas al-Taqawi al-Bukhari	Sample calligraphies		18th-19th centuries		Script: various%This panel's main inscription is contained in an elongated oval and reads: Khan Bahadur Sayyid 'Ayn al-Din Sahib Madar al-Mahamm Riyasat Ditya Dama Iqbaluhu.  The ruler's name Ditya (?) and his many titles including "center of important affairs" (madar al-mahamm) establish his high rank.  The term bahadur in particular points to a Mughal Indian provenance, as this honorific designation was the sixth highest title conferred to Mughal officers and, later, also given to the second class of the Order of British India.%The inscription is executed in a number of different scripts, which are labeled by small notes in black ink immediately above or below the word to which they correspond.  For example, the terms Khan Bahadur are written in rayhani script (khatt-i rayhan), 'Ayn al-Din in ghubar (dust) script (khatt-i ghubar), Sahib in afshan (gold sprinkling) script (khatt-i afshan), Madar al-Mahamm in gulzar (flower garden) script (khatt-i gulzar), and Riyasat Ditya Dama Iqbaluhu in mahi (fish) script (khatt-i mahi).  The sheer variety of scripts, some of which include flower and fish motifs, reveals the calligrapher's mastery of the art.%The calligrapher Hakim Sayyid Hamid 'Abbas al-Taqawi al-Bukhari has included his name in the center of the bottom horizontal margin, where he states that he has written the work (katabahu).  Although he is unknown, his name suggests that he was originally from the city of Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan.  He probably migrated to India to seek patronage from a Mughal patron such as Ditya, for whom he executed this panel of his honorifics.%Panels executed in a variety of scripts, especially those which utilize the flower and fish scripts, seem to date from the 18th and 19th centuries and were made in Iran and India.  For example, a calligraphic panel executed by the Persian calligrapher Husayn Zarrin Qalam in 1212/1797-8 held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-85-154.95) also includes a number of whimsical scripts and motifs.  Panels such as these appear to have been used as wall hangings, as this fragment indicates by the remaining attached string at the top of the panel.  Perhaps also intended for their protective powers, they could include specific Qur'anic verses such as ayat al-kursi  (the Throne Verse, Qur'an 2:255), part of which appears in the center of the fragment's top horizontal margin.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			none given		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-2004-713.15.8a		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000109	resourceid|ascs-056,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.056	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		13th century		Dimensions of Sheet: Recto: a 16.6 (w) x 15.3 (h) cm, b 16.9 (w) x 15.4 (h) cm, c 12.5 (w) x 19.3 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: a 11.6 (w) x 15.3 (h) cm, b 11.6 (w) x 15.4 (h) cm, c 11.6 (w) x 19.3 (h) cm%Dimensions of Sheet: Verso: a 16.6 (w) x 15.3 (h) cm, b 16.9 (w) x 15.4 (h) cm, c 12.5 (w) x 19.3 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: a 11.6 (w) x 15.3 (h) cm, b 11.6 (w) x 15.4 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%These fragments belong to a series of three folios cut out from the same manuscript now in the Library of Congress: these provide a number of verses from chapters 78 and 79 of the Qur'an.%The first fragment contains verses 18-26 of the 79th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nazi'at on its recto.  Its verso contains verses 27-34 of  Surat al-Nazi'at.%Surat al-Nazi'at is a Meccan surah containing 46 verses which discuss the Day of Judgment and God's omnipotence.  Verses 18-26 contain the parable of Moses and Pharaoh.%God constructed Heaven: / He raised its canopy and he gave it order and perfection. / He gives night darkness and brings out its splendor with light. (79:27-29)%The second fragment contains verses 18-24 of the 78th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Naba' (The Great News).  The text continues with verses 27-35 on the fragment's verso.%Surat al-Naba' is a Meccan surah containing 40 verses that discuss God's mercy and the Day of Judgment:%The Day that the Trumpet will be sounded, / And you will come out in crowds / And the heavens will be opened up as if they were doors / And the mountains will disappear as if they were a mirage. (78:18-19)%Verily for the Righteous there will be a fulfilment of desires, / Gardens closed, grapevines, companions of equal age, and a cup full (to the brim). / No vanity will they hear there, nor untruth, / Only recompense from your God, a sufficient gift. (78:31-36)%The third fragment includes verses 80-86 of the 2nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Baqarah (The Cow).  The text continues with verses 87-96 on the fragment's verso.  With a total of 286 verses, Surat al-Baqarah is the longest chapter in the Qur'an.  These particular verses discuss the Israelites (Banu Isra'il), their covenant with God, and how most principles were not followed:%And remember we took a covenant from the Children of Israel: / Worship none other but God, / Treat with kindness your parents and kindred, / And orphans and those in need, / Speak fairly to people, / Be steadfast in prayer, / And practice regular charity. / Then, except for a few of you, /  You turned back and relapsed. (2:83)%The text continues the immediately preceding verses (80-86) on the fragment's recto.  These particular verses discuss Moses and Jesus and their struggles with unruly people:%We gave Moses the Book / And followed him with a succession of messengers. / We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs  / And strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. / Is it that whenever a messenger comes to you with whatever you do not desire, / You are inflated with pride? / Some you called imposters, and others you slay.  (2:87)%These fragments are written in thuluth script with gold outlined in black ink.  The text is fully vocalized in gold with sukuns (silence marks) in blue ink probably added at a later date.  The verse (ayah) markers consist of eight-petalled gold rosettes with center circles executed either in gold or blue ink.  The ayah marker in the center of the second line between verses 20 and 21 on the first fragment visually stand out as its shape differs from the other verse markers.  It is intended to mark off a tenth verse.  It is constructed as a flat gold disk dotted in blue on its perimeter.  In the left margin appears a gold medallion marking the twentieth (ashrun) section (juz') of the Qur'an.%The script (thuluth) executed in gold and outlined in black, the text layout (five lines/page), the verse markers, and the marginal medallions all bear resemblance to a Qur'an made in the Jazirah region (Upper Mesopotamia) during the 13th century now held in the Khalili Collection in London (James 1992a: 44-49, cat. no. 7).	Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			various		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.15a-c		intldl/ascs			12000000	text	tx	
ascs000110	resourceid|ascs-017,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.017	cll|unknown	Praises to Husayn		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.7 (w) x 16.3 (h) cm%Script: Indian thuluth%This calligraphic fragment provides repeated Shi'i blessings (al-salam 'alayka) in Arabic directed to Husayn, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson through his son-in-law 'Ali.  He is addressed by his many names and epithets, such as the "servant of God" ('abd Allah), "son of the Prophet" (ibn rasul), "goodness of God" (khayrat Allah), "son of the Leader of the Faithful" (ibn amir al-mu'minin), and "son of Fatimah, the radiant" (ibn Fatimah al-zahra').%The text is executed in an Indian variant of thuluth script in black ink on a red ground.  Words are fully vocalized also with black diacritical marks in order to ensure proper pronunciation.  The text panel is provided with several brown and cream-colored borders and is pasted to a larger sheet of brown paper backed by cardboard.%This calligraphic panel probably was made in India during the 18th or 19th century, after the revival of the naskh tradition at the hands of Mirza Ahmad Nayrizi (d. 1739) in Iran (Safwat 1996: 212-3).  The red background also suggests that the piece may have been executed in the Deccan, as manuscripts and calligraphies produced there oftentimes have a red-toned background.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			24.4 (w) x 36.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.22		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000111	resourceid|ascs-022,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.022	cll|unknown	Bahram Gur in the yellow pavilion		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 13.5 (w) x 22 (h) cm%Dimensions of Painting: Verso: 16.2 (w) x 28.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This text describes an episode from the "Haft Paykar" (Seven Thrones) of Nizami (d. 614/1218), the fourth book from his "Khamsah" (Quintet).  In this romantic allegory of love and frustration, the Sassanian ruler Bahram Gur (r. 420-438) visits seven pavilions on each of the seven days of the week.%Here, Nizami describes the ruler's visit of the yellow pavilion (gunbad-i zar) on a Sunday (ruz-i yakshamba), an anecdote represented on the folio's verso (1-04-713.19.29 V).  In this tale, Bahram Gur is disappointed by his concubines and convinces a woman, who first refuses his advances, to marry him  (Meisami 1995: xvii-xviii).  The ruler is shown seated in the upper left, surrounded by women offering food and playing musical instruments.  The yellow dome of the pavilion breaks through the top horizontal margin, and a number of verses describing the events frame the painting at the top and bottom. (Meisami 1995: xvii-xviii).%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script in four columns separated by gold gutters.  Four verses in the paper's center are written diagonally, providing a clue to the end of one section, as well as the beginning of the subsequent tale of the yellow pavilion (whose title appears in the illuminated chapter heading in the bottom center).%This text page and the painting on the folio's verso are typical of Persian illustrated manuscripts of Nizami's "Khamsah" produced during the Safavid period.  A great number of such works were made in 16th-century Shiraz (southwestern Persia/Iran) for export to Ottoman Turkey and Mughal India.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			20.4 (w) x 30.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.29		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000112	resourceid|ascs-068,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.068	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 8 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 25-33 of the 35th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Fatir (The Originator of Creation).  The text continues with verses 33-40 on the folio's verso (1-84-154.20c V).  These particular verses are found on another fragment of a Qur'an also executed in Kufi script in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-89-154.186 R & V). The verso of this calligraphic fragment includes verses 33-40 of  al-Fatir (The Originator of Creation).  The text continues verses 25-33 on the folio's recto (1-84-154.20c R).%Surat al-Fatir deals with the mysteries and forces of Creation (al-khalq), as well as the angelic forces that maintain Creation.  Paradise is promised for the believers, and Hell for the unbelievers.  Hope is the promise of those who perform good deeds:%Those who rehearse the Book of God, / Establish regular prayer, / And spend in charity, / Out of what We have provided for them, / Secretly and openly, / Hope for a commerce that will never fail. (35:29)%God knows all the hidden things / Of the heavens and the earth. / Verily he has full knowledge / Of all that is in men's hearts. (35:38)%The text is executed in a Kufi script close to syle D.IV (Droche 1992: 89, cat. no. 40), a writing style found on horizontal Qur'ans produced during the 9th century.  It is written in brown ink at 13 lines per page.  There are no vocalization or diacritical marks.  The only verse marker consists of a red circle at verse 40 on the fragment's verso (1-84-154.20c V), which was added later to demarcate a tenth verse.%The script, layout, and red verse marker on this fragment resemble another fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-84-154.20a R & V).	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			15.5 (w) x 10.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.20c		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000113	resourceid|ascs-096,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.096	cll|Mir Kalan	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11 (w) x 16.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 11.1 (w) x 16.1 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th-century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%The recto of this particular calligraphic fragment is attributed to Mir Kalan, as noted by the inscription "raqamahu Mir Kalan" at the top of the fragment.  The text itself is composed of both poetry (nazm) and prose (naskh), a combination typical of the art of composition, or insha'.  The author begins with two bayts  (verses) of poetry, then complains about the hardships of separation, invokes the passion (shawq and ishtiyaq) of friendship, and ends his letter (maktub) by stating that he offers it as a flower to his loved one.%This  calligraphic fragment's verso is also attributed to Mir Kalan, as noted by the attribution "raqamahu Mir Kalan" at the top of the fragment.  It also contains a seal impression in the lower center bearing the name Sayyid 'Ali Taqi Khan.  In the lower left corner appears a squiggle design as well.  The text itself begins with a praise of God ("He is the Glorified," or huwa al-'aziz) and a poetical excerpt on the pain of being separated from a friend.  Then follows the contents of this deeply spiritual ('irfani) letter: the author insists to have not forgotten his friend, that his love is -- like an inscription on a stone (sang) -- ineffaceable.  He assures him that he sees him everywhere he looks (even in the walls) and that he is engaged in continuous remembrance (dhikr) of him.  Finally, he apologizes for not being able to visit him due to weakness and fatigue, but promises that, as soon as he gets well, he will run to him with passion (shawq).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			18.7 (w) x 29.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.49		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000114	resourceid|ascs-144,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.144	cll|unknown	Ghazals of Asifi		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 7.7 (w) x 14.1 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a variety of lyric poems (ghazals) from the "Compendium of Poems" (Divan) of the Persian poet Asifi.  A student of the famous poet Jami (d. 897/1492) in Herat, Asifi remained in the Timurid capital city until his death (923/1517), even during and after the Uzbek invasions.  He is known as the precursor of conceptualist poetry.%These particular verses on the fragment's recto and verso portray a lover's madness and his complaints (shikayat) about the pains of separation (firaq) from the object of his affection.  At the end of the first verse on the sixth line appears the poet's signature or pen-name (takhallus), facilitating the identification of the fragment.%The ghazals are executed in black nasta'liq script in two columns, separated at the center by a plain gutter marked off by black vertical lines.  The two ghazals are divided by an illuminated horizontal register with a gold-painted panel bordered by a blue background decorated with flowers.  Though not inscribed, this panel demarcates each independent ghazal.%The text panel is framed by several borders and pasted to a sheet of beige paper decorated with mythical birds (simurgh) painted in gold.  The fragment's style and composition are common of Persian manuscripts produced during the Safavid period, i.e., over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			18.4 (w) x 28.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.121		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000115	resourceid|ascs-222,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.222	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		11th-12th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.7 (w) x 24 (h) cm%Script: Kufi (New Style I)%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 17-22 of the 18th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Kahf (The Cave).  The text continues on the fragment's verso with verses 22-31 (1-89-154.169 V).%Surat al-Kahf relates the story of the Companions of the Cave (ahl al-kahf), also known as the "Sleepers of Ephesus."  These Christian martyrs were immured in a cave near Ephesus during the persecutions by Decius (c. 250).  They awoke in the 5th century during the reign of Theodosius II, when Christianity finally was established.  They fell asleep once more and, we are told, will not awake again until the Day of Judgment.  This surah uses the parable of the Companions of the Cave to underscore our defective notions of time and to prove that faith always triumphs over disbelief.%This text is executed in Kufi (New Style I), a script typical of Qur'ans produced in the vertical format during the 11th-12th centuries (Droche 1992: 172-173, cat. no. 90).  The script's simple form was popular and widely used.  The main text, diacritical dots, and strokes are executed in black ink, while vocalization marks are made with red ink.  Orthoepics (pronunciation marks) such as the duplication of a vowel (tashdid) and the silence (sukun) are written in green ink.%Many verse markers are absent.  The few markers that are visible consist of three parallel diagonal lines executed in black ink.  In the left margin appears a decorative roundel in yellow and red ink intended to mark a tenth verse.  The lower part of the folio is lost due to damage, and some of the words on uppermost horizontal line of text appear to have been rewritten.%This fragment resembles another folio in the Library of Congress (1-94-154.176a).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi (New Style I)%Local|Arabic calligraphy			20.4  (w) x 29.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.169		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000116	resourceid|ascs-213,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.213	cll|unknown	Decorative borders		17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11.4 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 13 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%The recto of this calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by the famous Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9), as well as a number of other verses framed in rectangular bands along the inner border of the central panel.  Every line of calligraphy is cut out and pasted individually onto the fragment's illuminated background.  The verses are framed by white and blue borders decorated with gold flower and leaf motifs, and pasted onto an orange paper painted in gold and provided with ornamental medallions containing pink and white flowers.  This fragment's decoration, much like the pattern on the fragment's verso (1-88-154.41 V), is typical of Mughal book arts of the 17th century.%The five verses written horizontally on the illuminated panel read:%Nasihati kunamat yadgir u dar 'amal an / Kain hadis za pir-i tariqatam yad ast / Maju durusti-yi 'ahd az jahan sust nahad / Kain 'ajuza 'arus-i hazar damad ast / Buru malamat-i durdi kashan makun zahid%I give you advice: learn it and do it / Because I remember that this (advice) came from the leader of my spiritual order. / Don't expect this unsteady world to be faithful / Because this old hag was a bride to a thousand husbands. / Go, devout one, and do not reprimand the drinkers.%Hafiz warns of the transience and fickleness of this world (literally, an old hag or  'ajuza), and argues that those who imbibe the last dregs or essence (durd) of wine have the spiritual understanding of what is true and permanent.%The verso of this fragment has a decorative border similar to the recto; however, the verso is devoid of text.  The illuminated frame is pasted to a paper decorated with yellow flowers perhaps  intended to represent blooming saffron flowers (although the petals of saffron flowers tend to be of a light purple color).  This pattern of yellow-orange flowers appears on an otherwise unrelated calligraphic fragment in the Library of Congress (see 1-04-713.19.26), suggesting that both works may have originated from the same atelier.  The latter work, the first page of a copy of Sa'di's Bustan, is believed to have been made in India during the 17th century.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			25.1 (w) x 36.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.41		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000117	resourceid|ascs-053,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.053	cll|unknown	On the lovers' passion		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.5 (w) x 17.5 (h) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an anecdote about the passion of the lover and the beloved (ishtiyaq-i muhibb va mahbub), as written in red ink in the upper right corner.  As the author then notes, the story seems to have been recorded by the prolific Arab prose writer al-Jahiz (d. 255/869).  The subsequent text desribes the tragic story of two lovers who drowned at sea.%The text is executed in minute shikastah-nasta'liq script in diagonal lines in two columns.  Executed on a beige paper, the text is framed by cloud bands on a gold background.  The text panel is framed by a blue border with red and pink flowers and pasted to a larger sheet of paper backed by cardboard.%The fragment appears signed in the upper left corner; however, the signature is too small to be legible.  The layout of the composition and the use of shikastah-nasta'liq script suggest that the piece was made in Iran during the 17th or 18th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			11.2 (w) x 18.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.8		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000118	resourceid|ascs-054,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.054	cll|unknown	Calligraphy		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 6.4 (w) x 14.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a poem in Persian which describes a ruler's duty to share his wealth.  The verses read:%Makhduma muhabbat shu'ara / Agar az qism-i shaftalu-yi pur bar az jahat-i / Khuddam avarda bashid ya avarand / Tanha khurdan jayiz nist baqi / [..hakimand wa al-'alam (?)]%Majesty and Affection of Poets / If a variety of ripe peaches are brought to / Your servants by you or they (bring them themselves) / It is not permitted to eat alone / [they are right and know (?)]%The verses are written in black nasta'liq script and outlined by cloud bands on a background painted in gold and decorated by floral motifs.  In the upper right corner, the intersection between the diagonal lines of text and the rectangular frame is filled by an illuminated triangle (or thumb piece).  The text panel is framed by gold, blue, and green borders and is pasted to a larger pink sheet of paper backed by cardboard.%The fragment is neither signed nor dated, but may have been executed in Iran or India sometime during the 18th or 19th century.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy			23.5 (w) x 34.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.9		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000119	resourceid|ascs-253,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.253	cll|unknown	The seductivness of the world		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.1 (w) x 24.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel includes three iambic pentameter quatrains, or ruba'is, on beige or blue papers cut out and pasted onto a sheet from an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies.  The quatrain in the upper left panel, executed in black nasta'liq script on a cream-colored sheet decorated with vine motifs painted in gold, reads:%Har ka dil bar ishva-yi giti nihad / Bar hazar bash az ghurur-i jahl-i u /  Daman-i an gir kaz himmat fashand / Astin bar dunya u bar ahl-i u%Everyone whose heart is seduced by the world / Avoid (him) because of the pride of his ignorance / Grab the hem of that (person) who, because of his greatness, / Has left behind the world and its dwellers.%The three quatrains are separated by illuminated panels and thumb pieces, and divided horizontally by further verses in Persian.  The whole of the text panel is provided by frames of various colors and pasted to a larger sheet of paper decorated by pounced motifs in blue and green.  A number of standing figures, as well as a seated angel with red and yellow wings, further decorate the paper.  Between each figure, a register includes a number of Persian verses written in red ink.  The register in the left border, however, includes an inscription in yellow ink which bears a fragmentary date reading: fi shuhur ithna (in the month of the second...).%Although the year of execution unfortunately is omitted, albums of calligraphies and paintings using pounced decorative papers bearing inscribed medallions and registers are typical of Shaybanid works produced in modern-day Uzbekistan over the course of the 16th century.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			27.5 (w) x 40.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-2000-154		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000120	resourceid|ascs-254,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.254	cll|Muhammad Husayn al-Kashmiri	Verses on the permanence of good deeds		ca. 1575-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21 (w) x 11.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by the celebrated Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9) on the futility of worldly goods.  Beginning with a praise of God, the Unique (huwa al-fard), in the upper left corner, the verses continue:%Tavangara dil-i darvish-ra bi-dast avar / Ka makhzan-i zar u ganj u diram nakhwahad mand / Bar in rivaq-i zabarjat navashta-and bi-zar / Ka juz' niku'i-yi ahl-i karam nakhwahad mand%Oh wealthy one, soothe the heart of the indigent / Because the treasury of gold, riches, and coins will not remain / On this topaz canopy (the sky) they have inscribed in gold / That nothing will remain except the good deeds of the generous ones%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on blue paper and outlined in cloud bands on a lavishly illuminated background.  Between the two bayts of poetry appear illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces), which fill in the interim space created by the intersection of the diagonal lines of text and the rectangular frame.%In the lower right corner appears the name of the calligrapher, Muhammad Husayn al-Kashmiri.  Originally from Kashmir, he became a pupil of Mir 'Ali Heravi (Huart 1972, 248; and see 1-88-154.65) and then joined the imperial book atelier of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) in Agra.  There, Muhammad Husayn al-Kashmiri was responsible for transcribing a royal copy of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi's Khamsah (Quintet) in 1595-8 (now in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore).  Other calligraphic specimens -- including one dated 988/1580 in the Shrine of Imam Riza in Mashhad (Mehdi Zadeh and Razzaghi 1369/1950: 32-33) -- suggest that this fragment in the Library of Congress was executed ca. 1575-1600 in India.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			22.4 (w) x 13.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-2002-154		intldl/ascs			15750000	text	tx	
ascs000121	resourceid|ascs-055,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.055	cll|Muhammad Riza Tabataba('i)	Qur'anic verses		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.7 (w) x 10.8 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This calligraphic panel includes the bismillah at the top, followed by the Qur'an's 111th surah entitled al-Masad (The Plaited Rope), also known as al-Lahab (The Flame).  This chapter contains five verses, all of which are included on the panel.  This very early Meccan surah stresses that cruelty ultimately ruins itself, while angry men and their wives perish in their own rage:%Perish the hands of the Father of Flames, perish he. / No profit to him from all his wealth and all his gains. / Burned soon will he be in a fire of blazing flame. / His wife will carry the crackling wood as fuel, / A twisted rope of palm leaf fiber around her own neck.%The surah is brought to an end by the artist's signature in the lower left corner.  The calligrapher's name, Muhammad Riza Tabataba('i), strongly suggests that he was a Shi'i Persian calligrapher who traced his lineage back to Tabataba, the great-great grandson of 'Ali.  Although he has not dated his work, calligraphic sheets pasted onto cardboard panels similar to this one were executed in Persian naskh script during the first half of the 19th century in Iran (see 1-86-154.136).  Such panels were intended as wall decoration in private homes or as calligraphic exercises.%This particular calligraphic sheet includes cloud bands painted in a light brown wash and decorated with black vines and red flowers.  Pasted onto a cardboard, it was later provided with green and pink paper margins.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses			21.6 (w) x 18.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.14		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000122	resourceid|ascs-067,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.067	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 7 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 20-21 of the 46th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Ahqaf (The Winding Sand-Tracks).  The text continues with verses 21-24 on the folio's verso (1-84-154.20b V).%Surat al-Ahqaf is the seventh and last chapter of a series of surahs beginning with the mysterious abbreviated letters ha-mim (h-m).  It discusses Creation, its purpose, and its vindication.  Those who do not believe in God and His Creation will suffer torment on the Day of Judgment.  The title of this surah comes from the long and winding crooked tracts of sandhills characteristic of the country of the 'Ad people, adjoining Hadramawt and Yemen:%And on the day that the unbelievers will be placed before the Fire, / It will be said to them: "You received your good things / In the life of the world, / And you took pleasure in them. / But today you will be given a penalty of humiliation. (46:20)%Mention Hud, one of 'Ad's brethen. / Behold, he warned his people of the winding sand-tracts (ahqaf). / But there have been warners before and after him. / Worship none other than God. / Truly I fear for you the penalty of a Mighty Day. (46:21).%The text on the recto is executed on the flesh side of the parchment.  As a result, the brown ink has worn off substantially. This Qur'an was executed at 7 lines per page in a Kufi script similar to style D.Vb typical of the 9-10th centuries (Droche 1992: 115, cat. no. 61).  This script is particular because the horizontal shafts of the letters have been extended on the vertical.  Red dots indicate vocalization.  Neither diacritical marks nor verse markers are marked.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic manuscripts			15 (w) x 10 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.20b		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000123	resourceid|ascs-071,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.071	cll|unknown	al-Fatihah		14th-15th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.4 (w) x 15.5 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This Qur'anic fragment contains the first chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening).  Recited at the very beginning of the Qur'an, this surah proclaims God as Gracious and Merciful, the Master of the Day of Judgment, and the Leader of the straight path.%The illuminated upper and lower panels contain a text, outlined in gold ink to let the plain folio show through, stating that this surah is the opening of the Holy Book (Fatihat al-Kitab al-'Aziz) and contains seven ayahs revealed in Mecca.  These illuminated cartouches contain gold vine and flower motifs interlacing on a blue background.  In the right margin appear two gold and blue decorative roundels and one semi-roundel in the center.%The text itself is written in the cursive script called naskh, and each verse is separated by an ayah marker consisting of a gold six-petalled rosette with blue and red dots on its perimeter.  Both the script and the illumination are typical of Qur'ans produced in Mamluk Egypt during the 14th and 15th centuries.%Above the first two ayah markers on the first line of text immediately after the initiatory bismillah appears the word la ("no") in red ink, indicating that the reciter must not stop at the places indicated.  Finally, this fragment is particular in several ways: there are four extra verse markers at the very end of the surah, a mistake that has been rectified partially by the addition of the exclamatory, terminal praise amin ("Amen") between the last correct verse marker and the first additional marker.  The spaces between the last three verse markers on the lowermost line remain empty.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			27.3 (w) x 35.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.22		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000124	resourceid|ascs-081,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.081	cll|Mir 'Imad	Verses in Persian and Chaghatay		ca. 1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.1 (w) x 24 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a number of poetical verses in Persian and Chaghatay Turkish (Turkish spoken in Central Asia).  A continuous Persian lyrical poem (ghazal) is written in the top and bottom horizontal rectangular panels, while another ghazal appears written in diagonal in the right and left vertical columns.  Both ghazals are by the famous Persian poet Shaykh Sa'di (d. 691/1292) and address moral issues.%In the central text panel, verses in Chaghatay Turkish are written in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper which, like the Persian verses on the same page, are surrounded by cloud bands on a gold background.  The verses in Chaghatay Turkish are most likely to have been drawn from the Compendium (Divan) of poetry composed by Mir Ali Shir Nava'i (d. 1501), a powerful statesman during the rule of the last Timurid ruler Husayn Bayqara (r. 1470-1506) and a champion of Turkish language and literature.%In the lower left corner of the main textual panel containing the Chaghatay verses appears a minute signature by the calligrapher Mir 'Imad, whose name (Mir 'Imad Hasani) also appears in white ink immediately above the text page between two flowers painted on the green decorative sheet.  The calligrapher's name on the decorative frame provides an a posteriori attribution upon the mounting of the fragment onto a decorative album page.  The text panels also are cut out and pasted together, hinting that the texts originally would not have appeared together.%The prolific calligrapher Mir 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1615) was born in 1552, spent time in Herat and Qazvin, and finally settled in Isfahan (then capital of Safavid Persia [Iran]), where, as a result of his implication in court intrigues, he was murdered in 1615.  He was a master of nasta'liq script, whose works were admired and copied by his contemporaries, and later collected by the Mughals (Welch et al 1987: 32-36).  This particular fragment may have been executed in Persia ca. 1600 and mounted on to a decorative sheet for inclusion in a Mughal album of calligraphies.%Many works in international collections are signed by Mir 'Imad (inter alia, Safwat 1996, cat. nos. 53 and 62; and Lowry and Beach 1988: no. 456), although whether all these pieces are by his hand remains uncertain.  Other calligraphies bearing his name in the collections of the Library of Congress include: 1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-85-154.77, 1-87-154.160, and 1-90-154.162.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts			22.7 (w) x 39 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.3		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000125	resourceid|ascs-097,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.097	cll|unknown	Wall hanging		18th-19th centuries		Diameter of calligraphic circle: 15.1 cm%Script: dcoupage%This dcoupage panel in the shape of a closed altar piece includes a central roundel decorated with interlacing letters whose stems form a central six-pointed star.  The round inscription is difficult to decipher, and may comprise a wise saying or a verse from the Qur'an.  In the middle of the upper arch, a round hook suggests that it was used as a wall hanging.%The extractive technique of dcoupage is known in Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Turkish as qit'a, or literally "cutting out," and artists specializing in this technique were called qati'an (cutters).  It appears that dcoupage calligraphy became popular around the last quarter of the 15th century, as Qadi Ahmad's treatise of 1015/1606 on the subject makes clear (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 17 and 174-94).  Although the technique of dcoupage emerges during the second half of the 15th century, it became a popular tool for the making of Ottoman kalips (calligraphic perforated sheets) during the 16th-19th centuries (Safwat 1996: 142-43 and 194).  For example, one Ottoman work of dcoupage made by a certain Suleyman is dated 1282/1865-6 (Safwat 1996: 200-1, cat. no. 140).  For these reasons, it is logical to assume that this dcoupage work was made in Ottoman Turkey in the 18th or 19th century.%Another dcoupage calligraphic panel similar to this piece also is held in the Library of Congress (1-84-154.6): this piece may have been the companion piece of 1-84-154.5.	Local|Dcoupage%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			18 x 23.7 cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.5		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000126	resourceid|ascs-105,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.105	cll|unknown	Mihrab dcoupage panel		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 16.5 (w) x 5 (h) cm%Script: mirror script%This piece of white paper has been carefully cut out to produce an elaborate image of interlacing vines and flowers.  In the central panel, two columns border the right and left vertical frame and appear to hold an almost Baroque arch in which hangs a lamp.  This motif may be identified as a mihrab, or the prayer niche in the qibla wall of a mosque (i.e. the wall facing Mecca), illuminated by a hanging mosque lamp.%Above the mihrab, a rectangular frame contains the words Allah, Muhammad (peace and prayers upon him), and 'Ali written in such a way as to create a reverse or mirror image.  This writing technique is known as specular, bifold (musenna), duplicate writing (cift yazi), or reflecting (mutenazir) itself (Mandel Khan 2001: 130-3; and Ozonder 2003, 147). The process of mirror writing and mirror image-making flourished in the Ottoman empire during the 18th and 19th centuries, in particular in mystical quarters associated with the Bektashi order.  The Bektashis created calligraphic panels and paintings representative of their tenets, among which the belief in the divinity of 'Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, comes to the fore (De Jong 1989: 7-9).  As suggested by this panel, God, Muhammad and 'Ali are indissociable, as each is replicated  from a divine presence into concrete form.  It is quite probable that this panel was hung on a wall in a Bektashi dervish's living quarters, mosque, or dervish lodge (tekke), much like another 18th-century panel of mirror writing found in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-86-154.30).%The extractive technique of dcoupage is known in Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Turkish as qit'a, or literally "cutting out," and artists specializing in this technique were called qati'an (cutters).  It appears that dcoupage calligraphy became popular around the last quarter of the 15th century, as Qadi Ahmad's treatise of 1015/1606 on the subject makes clear (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 17 and 174-94).  Although the technique of dcoupage emerges during the second half of the 15th century, it became a popular tool for the making of Ottoman kalips (calligraphic perforated sheets) during the 16th-19th centuries (Safwat 1996: 142-43 and 194).  For example, one Ottoman work of dcoupage made by a certain Suleyman is dated 1282/1865-6 (Safwat 1996: 200-1, cat. no. 140).  For these reasons, it is logical to assume that this dcoupage, mirror-script work was made in Ottoman Turkey in the 18th or 19th century.%Another dcoupage calligraphic panel similar to this piece also is held in the Library of Congress (1-84-154.5): this piece may have been the companion piece to 1-84-154.6.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Mirror script%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			17.9 (w) x 26.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.6		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000131	resourceid|ascs-010,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.010	cll|Hafiz Ibrahim (attr.)	Verses by Hafiz		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 19.5 (w) x 11 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, composed by the famous Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9). The verses use mystical ('irfani) terms to urge the exculpation of the beloved's faults:%Gar za dast-i zulf-i mushkinat khata'i raft raft / Var za hindu-yi shuma bar ma jafa'i raft raft / Dar tariqat ranjish-i khatir nabashad may biyar / Har kudurat-ra ka mibini safa'i raft raft%If from the hand of your musky tress, a fault is passed, passed / And if against us from their dark mole, an act of tyranny is passed, passed / If there is no (mystical) sect for memory's indignation, bring wine / Every foulness that you see (as) purity is passed, passed%The text is executed in black nasta'liq script typical of calligraphic works produced in India during the 19th century.  Drawing on the creative potential of the script, the calligrapher has chosen to superimpose certain letters in each line, thereby creating three columns of overlayed letters repeated over the four lines of text.  The visual effect is balanced and artistic.%Although the calligraphic piece is not signed, a later note on the fragment's verso attributes the piece to a certain "Hafiz Ibrahim."  If this attribution is accepted, Hafiz Ibrahim appears to have been a calligrapher in the nasta'liq script active in India during the 19th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			33.5 (w) x 20.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.16		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000132	resourceid|ascs-012,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.012	cll|Muhammad Ja'far	Introduction (Muqadimmah)		20th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.2 (w) x 15 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This fragment in Arabic provides an introduction (muqadimmah) to an otherwise unidentified work, perhaps even a sermon (khutbah).  Beginning with the bismillah, the text continues with a prayer of blessing for those whom God has selected.  On the very last line appears the signature of a certain Muhammad Ja'far, who states that he has written this piece (mashaqahu).%The work is written in black naskh script and is fully vocalized, an indication that the text may have been read aloud.  It is written on brown paper and its right margin is demarcated by two pyramids comprised of three black dots.	Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			23.2 (w) x 16.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.18		intldl/ascs			19000000	text	tx	
ascs000133	resourceid|ascs-014,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.014	cll|unknown	Khusraw kills a lion		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This painting depicts an episode from the third book of Nizami's "Khamsah" (Quintet) entitled "Khusraw va Shirin".  In this book, the adventures and battles of the Persian king Khusraw are described, as is his love for the Armenian princess Shirin.  At a feast one day, Khusraw and Shirin were sitting and drinking together (as described on the folio's verso, 1-04-713.19.2 V) when suddenly a lion approached the royal pavilion.  Thereupon, the king, albeit drunk, made a fist, hit the lion in the ear, and killed it on the spot.%The painting follows the text very closely by depicting Shirin and her attendants still in the pavilion and King Khusraw killing the lion with his bare hands.  The painting's style resembles manuscripts produced for the market in Iran during the 16th and 17th centuries. The verso of this page describes Khusraw's killing of the lion.%Above and below the composition appear the attending verses written in black nasta'liq script in four columns.  The text is framed by cloud bands and appears on a gold background decorated with blue and red flowers.  The entire text and painting panel is framed by variously colored borders and is pasted to a larger sheet of cream-colored paper.%On the verso the text is written in black nasta'liq script in four columns and separated by gold gutters decorated with black dots.  An illuminated chapter heading in the center of the text panel includes the title of the section, in which Khusraw and Shirin sit together.  The text panel is framed by variously colored borders and is pasted to a larger sheet of cream-colored paper.%The text's layout and the painting's style (on the recto) are found in manuscripts produced for the market in Iran during the 16th and 17th centuries.%Another painting from another manuscript of Nizami's "Khusraw va Shirin" is held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  It depicts King Khusraw in battle (see 1-87-154.124 R & V).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			19.4 (w) x 25 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.2		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000134	resourceid|ascs-069,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.069	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 8.7 (w) x 5.3 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 8.9 (w) x 5.4 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes the beginning of verse 11 of the 49th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Hujurat (The Chambers).  This same verse continues on the folio's verso (1-84-154.20d R).%Surat al-Hujurat is the third of a group of three Medinan surahs, beginning with chapter 47.  It discusses conduct that must be observed by the Muslim community, such as mutual respect and allegiance to a rightful leader.  The beginning of verse 11 on this fragment stresses proper behavior:%Do not defame nor be sarcastic to each other, / Or call each other by offensive nicknames... / And those who do not desist are doing wrong. O you who believe, / Do not let some men among you laugh at others, / (Although) it may be that the latter are better than the former. / Also do not let some women laugh at others, / (Although) it may be that the latter are better than the former. (49:11)%The text is executed in a Kufi script close to style D.III typical of Qur'ans produced during the 9th century.  At five lines per page, the Qur'anic text is executed in brown ink and in a horizontal format.  Red dots indicate vocalization, while a single green dot on both the recto and verso of this fragment demarcate a long medial alif (a).	Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy			13.8 (w) x 9.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.20d		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000135	resourceid|ascs-072,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.072	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		11th- 13th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 6 (w) x 12.2 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 6.3 (w) x 11.5 (h) cm%Script: naskh and Kufi%This Qur'anic fragment includes, on the left side, the surah heading and first two verses of the 14th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat Ibrahim (Abraham).  On the right side appear verses 6-7 of the same surah, a continuation of the chapter's previous verses (2-6) present on the folio's verso (see 1-84-154.24 V).  Combined, the fragment's recto and verso provide the title and first seven verses of Surat Ibrahim, which discuss how each nation received its own prophet to deliver God's message.  In verses 5-6, Moses is heralded as a prophet who brought the knowledge of God to his people and delivered them from Pharaoh.%The surah's heading at the top of the left side of the fragment is written in Kufi  script typical of some of the earliest extant Qur'an manuscripts.  The heading, which gives the title of the chapter and its number of verses (mistakenly 51 rather than 52), is written out in a subtractive method whereby the plain folio's beige color shows through the illuminated panel and the letters' black outlines.  The illuminated panel, decorated with blue and white leaf motifs, bears a palmette that jets out into the left margin.  This kind of panel -- called a tabula ansata after its Roman prototype -- is also typical of early Qur'ans of the 9th century (Lings and Safadi 1976, cat. no. 10).  The remaining portion of text that belongs to the chapter heading, i.e., "revealed in Mecca" (nuzilat bi-Makkah), is executed in gold ink between two rectangles located in the center of the folio's left margin.%The chapter's text is executed in an early naskh (cursive) script, will full vocalization in black ink and other orthographical markers -- such as the doubling of a consonant (tashdid) -- picked out in red ink.  Verse markers consist of six-petalled gold rosettes with red dots on their perimeters.  The combination of Kufi script for chapter headings and early naskh script for the text proper appears in Qur'ans produced in Iraq and Persia during the 11th-13th centuries (Lings and Safadi 1976, cat nos. 55 and 57).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Naskh%Local|Kufi%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses			21.7 (w) x 17.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.24		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000136	resourceid|ascs-075,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.075	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14 (w) x 7 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 120-121 of the 9th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Tawbah (The Repentance).  The text continues with verses 121-122 on the folio's verso (1-84-154.28a V).%Surat al-Tawbah describes broken treaties with pagans and the fighting against infidelity.  If a community marches out, part of its members should remain behind in order to continue the teaching of religious matters.  Those who believe should associate with the righteous and truthful, actively doing their duty:%It was not fitting for the people of Medina / And the Bedouin Arabs of the area / To refuse to follow God's Messenger, / Nor to prefer their own lives to his, / Because nothing could they suffer or do / But was reckoned to their credit as a deed of righteousness. (9:120)%Nor should the believers all go forth together. / If a contingent from every expedition remained behind, / They could devote themselves to studies in religion, / And admonish the people when they return to them. / That thus they may learn to guard themselves against evil. (9:122)%The text is executed in a Kufi script similar to style D prevalent in Qur'ans produced during the 9th-10th centuries.  With 7 lines per page in black ink, it follows the horizontal format of early Qur'ans.  On the 6th line of the recto there appears a verse marker separating verse 120 from verse 121. A similar marker appears  at the end of the 5th line on the verso.  The ayah markers consist of three gold circles arranged in a triangle and outlined in black ink.  This marker is similar to verse marker 2.2.3D of Droche's verse marker classication (Droche 1992, 22).%Although the text on this verso has worn off due to having been executed on the flesh side of the parchment, certain elements are still visible.  For example, red dots indicate vocalization and there are traces of green dots.  There are no diacritical marks.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			18.2 (w) x 11.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.28a		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000137	resourceid|ascs-076,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.076	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		10th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 6 (w) x 8.1 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 6 (w) x 8 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes, on the left hand side of the bifolio, the illuminated title and verses 1-6 of the 69th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Haqqah (The Truth).  This text continues with verses 6-14 on the fragment's verso (1-84-154.28b V).  The right side of the recto then proceeds with verses 14-19 from the same chapter.%The verso of this calligraphic fragment includes verses 6-10 (right side) and 10-14 (left side) of Surat al-Haqqah (The Truth).  This text continues verses 1-6 (right side) and precedes verses 14-19 (left side) on the fragment's recto (1-84-154.28b R).  Altogether, this fragment contains the title and verses 1-19 of Surat al-Haqqah.%This surah dates from the Meccan period and contains 52 verses.  It is largely eschatological in nature, and verses 1-19 in particular describe the cataclysmic events on the Day of Judgment, when the mountains are crushed to powder and the sky is torn asunder.%The text is written in Kufi (New Syle III).  Red dots indicate vocalization, while vowel signs and orthoepics (pronunciation marks) were added in black ink at a later date. One dot below the letter ra (r) serves to differentiate it from the zayn (z).  The script, vocalization marks, and vertical format show some of the advances in Kufi calligraphy and Qur'an production during the 10th century (see (Droche 1992: 144-145, cat. no. 79).%The chapter title of Surat al-Haqqah at the top left of the bifolio is executed in gold ink.  It provides the surah's title and number of verses, and ends in an ornate gold and red marginal palmette that has been slightly lost due to cropping.  Verse markers consist of gold flowers with red dots, while ayah markers marking every fifth verse (e.g. right side, 4th line) are shaped like a gold droplet or the Arabic letter ha (h).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			17.9 (w) x 11.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.28b		intldl/ascs			09000000	text	tx	
ascs000138	resourceid|ascs-077,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.077	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		10th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10 (w) x 8 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes the beginning of verse 18 from the 5th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Ma'idah (The Table).  The text continueswith the end of verse 18 and the beginning of verse 19 on the folio's verso (1-84-154.29a V).%Surat al-Ma'idah describes the corruption of religions, in particular Judaism and Christianity prior to the advent of Islam.  Even if warned, the Qur'an states that Jews and Christians turned away from the Truth and violated their Covenants:%Both the Jews and Christians say: / "We are sons of God, and His beloved." / Say: "When then does He punish you for your sins? / No, you are but men,  / Of the men He has created." (5:18)%The verso of this calligraphic fragment includes verses 18-19 of  al-Ma'idah (The Table).  The text continues the beginning of verse 18 on the folio's recto (1-84-154.29a R).%God punishes whom He pleases. / And to God belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth, / And all that is in between. / And unto Him is the final goal. (5:18)%The text is exectued in a Kufi script similar to style D.Vb (Droche 1992: 109-110, cat. no. 57), at 5 lines per page in horizontal format.  This particular script is differentiated by the upper stroke of the letter kaf (k) which slants to the right before turning to the left.  The text is executed in black ink, while red dots indicating vocalization may have been added later.  Diacritical marks also appear to have been added subsequently: for example, glottal stops (hamza) are marked in green ink, while duplications of consonants (tashdid) are executed in gold ink.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi			16 (w) x 10 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.29a		intldl/ascs			09000000	text	tx	
ascs000139	resourceid|ascs-078,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.078	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		10th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 6.3 (w) x 9.2 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 6.5 (w) x 9.3 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 62-64 of the 24th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nur (The Light).  The text of this surah ends on the fragment's verso (1-84-154.29b V), which also contains the illuminated heading and first three verses of the subsequent (25th) chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Furqan (The Criterion).%Surat al-Nur describes domestic and public matters, and how communal life contributes to man's virtues and his spiritual journey towards God:%Only those are believers who trust in God and His Messenger. / When they are with him on a matter requiring collective action, / They do not depart until they have asked for his leave. (24:62)%Surat al-Furqan is an early Meccan chapter containing 77 verses.  It uses the contrast between light and darkness as a metaphor for knowledge and ignorance, virtue and sin.  God has sent forth in His revelation certain measures by which man can distinguish between right and wrong:%Blessed is He Who sent down the Criterion to His servant, / So that it may be a warning to all creatures. (25:1)%The text is executed in Kufi script (New Style I), in which vocalization is indicated by red dots.  Only a few orthoepic (pronunciation) marks executed in black ink, such as the tashdid (duplication of a consonant) and tanwin (nunnation, or pronunciation of the letter "n"), appear to have been added at a later date.  The script, lack of diacritics, and vertical format typify Qur'ans produced during the 10th century (see Droche 1992: 142-143, cat. no. 78).%Verse markers consist of gold flowers decorated with a gold center.  Unfortunately, a small portion of the text has been lost in the center right due to a hole in the parchment.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Kufi			10.9 (w) x 15.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.29b		intldl/ascs			09000000	text	tx	
ascs000140	resourceid|ascs-083,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.083	cll|unknown	Panel of Illumination, Qur'anic verses		9th century		Dimensions of Panel: 14.5 (w) x 7.3 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.5 (w) x 8.6 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This panel of illumination marks the beginning of the 20th part (juz') of the Qur'an at verse 56 of the 27th chapter entitled Surat al-Naml (The Ants).  Verses 56-60 of this surah appear on this folio's verso (1-84-154.37a V) and another fragment from the same Qur'an in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-84-154.37b R & V).%On that fragment the text continues with verses 57-60.  Together, these two folios form the beginning of the 20th part (juz') of the Qur'an, demarcated by a panel of illumination on the recto of this folio (1-84-154.37a R).%Surat al-Naml describes the wonders of the spiritual world.  The stories of a number of prophets, such as Moses, Solomon, Salih, and Lut (Lot), are offered in order to distinguish true from false worship, and highlight the miracles of God's grace and revelation.  In the story of Lot, those who are lustful, including Lot's wife, will suffer God's punishment:%But We saved him (Lot) and his family, / Except his wife: her We destined to be among those who lagged behind. (27:57)%This panel of illumination follows a standard type found in horizontal Qur'ans made of parchment during the 9th century (Droche 1992: 130, cat. no. 73).  The panel is divided into three registers along the horizontal.  The outer register includes interlacing vines decorated with dots, the middle register consists of square and rectangular panels striated with gold lines, and the innermost panel is speckled with a field of diagonal lines composed of small gold and blue dots.  A gold decorative finial projects into the left margin as a visual clue for the beginning of the juz'.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Kufi			20.5 (w) x 14.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.37a		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000141	resourceid|ascs-084,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.084	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.5 (w) x 9 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 57-59 of the 27th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Naml (The Ants).  The text continues with verses 59-60 on the folio's verso (1-84-154.37b V).  Immediately preceding verses (56-57) appear on another fragment from the same Qur'an in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-84-154.37a V).  Together, these two folios form the beginning of the 20th part (juz') of the Qur'an, demarcated by a panel of illumination (1-84-154.37a R).%Surat al-Naml describes the wonders of the spiritual world.  The stories of a number of prophets, such as Moses, Solomon, Salih, and Lut (Lot) are offered in order to distinguish true from false worship, and highlight the miracles of God's grace and revelation.  In the story of Lot, those who are lustful will suffer God's punishment:%And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone). / And evil was the shower on those who were admonished, but heeded not. (27:58)%Say, praise be to God and peace upon His servants / Whom He has chosen (for His Message). / Who is better? God or the false god they associate with Him? (27:59)%The text is executed in a Kufi script similar to style D of Qur'ans produced during the 9th century (see inter alia Droche 1992: cat. nos. 19, 22, and 24).  With five lines per page executed in black ink, this fragment follows the horizontal format of early Qur'ans made on parchment.  The ink has worn off the verso due to having been executed on the flesh side of the parchment.  Red dots indicate vocalization, while diacritics made of diagonal lines in black ink may have been added at a later date.  On the second and fourth lines of this fragment appear two verse markers separating verse 57 from verse 58 and verse 58 from verse 59.  They consist of small gold circles stippled with tiny gold and blue dots.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			20.7 (w) x 14.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.37b		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000142	resourceid|ascs-086,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.086	cll|unknown	Letter exercise		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 40.6 (w) x 19.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an exercise in nasta'liq script that consists in combining letters (mufradat) in various formations.  Albums of mufradat exercises include the single letters (al-huruf al-mufradah or, in the Ottoman tradition, huruf-i muqatta'a) of the Arabic alphabet in sequence, followed by letters in their composite form.  Exercise books begin at least by the 16th century. They were used as books of exemplars of calligraphy to introduce students into the practice of handwriting and provide chains of transmission of calligraphic knowledge throughout the centuries (Safwat 1996:12-3).%This particular fragment bears witness to the practice of mufradat exercises in nasta'liq script that seems to have existed among calligraphers active in 18th-century India.  The script and decorative patterns -- most especially the marble (abri or ebru) papers used both for the text panel and the outside frame backed by cardboard -- support such a provenance.%Although the calligraphic panel is not signed, a note appears on the fragment's verso.  It reads: "by the hand of (bi-khatt-i) Muhammad Sa'd (or Sa'id) al-Din."  This note may be a later attribution of the calligraphic panel to Muhammad Sa'd (or Sa'id) al-Din, about whom information is wanting.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			49 (w) x 30.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.39		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000143	resourceid|ascs-088,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.088	cll|unknown	Two bayts (verses) on lovesickness		late 19th century (?)		Dimensions of Written Surface: 40 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes two bayts on the woes of lovesickness.  Initiated by a praise to God, "the Glorified (al-'aziz) and the Rightly Guided (al-rashid)," the verses continue:%Tu an rafi' makani ka sakinan-i falak / Bar astan-i tu darand mayl-i darbani / Cha ihtiyaj bi-pish-i tu hal-i khud guftan / Ka hal-i khasta dilan-ra tu khub midani%In that high place where the inhabitants of the skies / Wish to be the doorkeepers of your abode / What purpose to speak to you about my state / Since you yourself know the state of (my) heart sickness%Around the verses of poetry, a calligrapher has added a dedicatory inscription.  He states that calligraphy (khatt) is incomparable (bi nadir) to all other forms of art and dedicates the calligraphy to Mir Safdar 'Ali.  Although the diminutives of the calligrapher -- that is, "the servant" (al-'abd) and "the humble" (al-mudhnib) -- and his request for God's forgiveness for his sins remain, his name has been erased.  Other parts of the fragment have been damaged and repaired as well, suggesting that the name of the calligrapher may have been lost as a result.%Mir Safdar 'Ali Khan (d. 1930) was a ruler of the princely state of Hunza, in present-day northeastern Pakistan, from 1886-1892.  When British forces invaded the state in December 1891, Mir Safdar  'Ali fled to Kashghar and Hunza became the northernmost frontier post of the British presence in India.%As a result, it appears then this calligraphy was made for Mir Safdar 'Ali at the time of his tenure ca. 1890.  If such a dating is accepted, then this piece bears witness to the continued existence and practice of nasta'liq script in India on the eve of British colonization.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			47.6 (w) x 27.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.40		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000144	resourceid|ascs-085,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.085	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th -10th  centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.5 (w) x 10 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 121-122 of the 3rd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Al 'Imran (The Family of 'Imran).  This text continues with verses 122-123 on the folio's verso (1-84-154.38 V).%Surat Al 'Imran provides a view of religious history, the birth of Islam, and the struggles in the cause of Truth.  It praises those who are constant in faith and maintain spiritual hope in God and His revelations.  Verses 121-148 describe the lessons learned at the victorious battle of Badr and the defeat at Uhud.%God helped you at Badr, / when you were just a contemptible little force. / Then fear God / So that you may show Him your gratitude. (3:123)%The text is executed in black ink on parchment in the Kufi script (style E) found in Qur'ans of the 9th-10th centuries (Droche 1992: 129, cat. no. 72).  A number of black diacritics appear to have been added at a later date, while the red dots indicating vocalization are integral to the original text.  The text on the recto is executed on the flesh side of the parchment: for this reason, part of the ink has worn off.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			14.9 (w) x 11.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.38		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000145	resourceid|ascs-091,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.091	cll|Mir  'Imad al-Hasani	Letter exercises		early 17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 17.6 (w) x 31.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic practice sheet includes a number of diagonal words and letters written in the common Persian cursive script nasta'liq.  Letters are used in combinations, sometimes yielding fanciful agglutinates and other times real words, facing upwards and downwards on the folio.  The script is executed in brown ink on a cream colored background, framed by a blue border and pasted onto a sheet decorated with interlacing vines and flowers.%These kinds of sheets -- known as siyah mashq (literally, black practice) in Persian -- were entirely covered with writing as a means to practice calligraphy and conserve paper.  As an established genre, practice sheets abided to certain rules of formal compositions, largely guided by rhythm and repetition (Safwat 1996, 32).  In time, they became collectible items and thus were signed and dated.  Many   fragments such as this one were provided with a variety of decorative borders and pasted to sheets ornamented with plants or flowers painted in gold.%This particular siyah mashq is signed in the corner by a famous Iranian master of nasta'liq script, Mir Imad al-Hasani (d. 1024/1615).  He has signed his name "Imad" four times in a playful gesture emulating the repetitive nature of the practice sheet itself.  Like this fragment, a number of siyah mashq sheets executed at the turn of the 17th century by Imad al-Hasani were preserved and provided with illumination by Muhammad Hadi ca. 1160-1172/1747-1759 (Akimushkin  1996: 65, 70, 87, and 91).  This particular siyah mashq thus shows how a master of calligraphy practiced his craft during the Safavid period in Persia (Iran).%A number of other siyah mashq sheets are held in the Library of Congress.  See in particular 1-84-154.44, 1-84-154.46, 1-85-154.88, 1-86-154.144, 1-87-154.45, and 1-87-154.142.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy			28.2 (w) x 40.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.43		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000146	resourceid|ascs-095,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.095	cll|Mas'ud al-Tabib	Quatrain praising vision		early 17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.9 (w) cm x 24.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a quatrain, or ruba'i, praising vision as the most keen of the human senses.  The text is written in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper decorated with gold paint.  The text panel is framed by two borders in beige and gold and pasted to a blue paper decorated with gold flower and vine motifs.  Beginning with an invocation to God as the Glorified (huwa al-mu'izz), the verses read:%Dil jaya gham u dida makan-i gawhar ast / Ya'ni gawhar-i vasl-i tu dar chasm tar ast / Dar dil gham u dar dida khayal-i tu dar ast / Zan ruy za dil dida am abadtar ast%The heart is a place of sadness and the eye is the site of essence / That means the essence of your arrival is in the wet eye / In the heart (is) sadness and in the eye is the imagining of you / Because my eye is more refined than my heart%The poet describes his crying ("wet eye") upon seeing his beloved, attempting to show that visual imagination is more sensible and responsive than the heart.%In the lower left corner, the writer (al-katib) Mas'ud al-Tabib has signed his name, along with his diminutive epithets "the weak, the smallest of servants" (al-da'if aqall al-'ibad).  The calligrapher's full name was Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib, and he was known as a master of the nasta'liq style.  Rukn al-Din was nicknamed al-Tabib ("the doctor") as he came from a long line of royal physicians and he himself held high position at the court (divan) of Shah 'Abbas I (r. 15871629) in Isfahan (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 169-170).  However, since the ruler did not get well after a bout of illness, he requested that Rukn al-Din reimburse his salary and forced him to leave the capital city.  The calligrapher headed to Mashhad (northeastern Iran), from where he then journeyed to Balkh (modern-day Afghanistan) and eventually arrived in India (Huart 1972, 221).%One other calligraphic sample by Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib is held in the collections of the Library of Congress: see 1-88-154.153	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			27.5 (w) x 39 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.48		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000147	resourceid|ascs-098,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.098	cll|Muhammad Bakhsh	Prayers for the New Year (Noruz)		1211/1796-7		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.2 (w) x 18.2 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This calligraphic panel is executed in black (Indian) naskh on a pink paper decorated with gold cloud motifs and pasted to a light blue backing.  It is signed by Muhammad Bakhsh and dated 1211/1796-7 in the lower left corner.  In the upper right corner, an invocation to 'Ali (Oh 'Ali, the Greatest, or Ya 'Ali al-a'ala) shows that the work emerged from a Shi'i milieu.  The iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, that follows reads:%Ay akhtar-i burj-i sa'd ba bakht-i sa'id / Bar khiz tarab guzin ka noruz rasid / Har va'da ka iqbal namud ast bi-to / Al-hal qarib ast agar bud ba'id%Oh Star of the Constellation of Destiny (endowed) with good luck / Rise up and be merry because the New Year has arrived. / Every promise that Fortune has made to you / Is now close, if it (ever) had been far.%This poem wishes a ruler (nicknamed the "Star of the Constellation of Destiny") everlasting good fortune and the fulfillment of promises on the occasion of New Year's.  This New Year, or noruz, is most likely the Spring equinox (March 21st) marking the beginning of the solar calendar as celebrated in Iran and parts of India.  It appears that this calligraphic panel was executed on such an occasion to celebrate the New Year and to wish a patron prosperity for the years to come.  This practice of offering good wishes in written form during New Year's celebrations is attested to in a number of other calligraphic specimens in the Library of Congress (see 1-04-713.19.3, 1-04-713.19.48, and 1-04-713.19.49).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Naskh			14.6 (w) x 22.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.51		intldl/ascs			17960000	text	tx	
ascs000148	resourceid|ascs-099,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.099	cll|unknown	A friend's letter		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 5.8 (h) x 11.9 (w) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment consists in a letter composed by a man to his friend.  At the top, the letter is initiated by four bayts (verses) from a lyrical poem (ghazal) that advises men to be good and not engage in evil deeds (siyah kar).  These lines are written in smaller script in diagonal and separated into four columns. The letter then proceeds horizontally.  The correspondent apologizes for not having written in a long time.  In the middle of his letter, he also includes verses from Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" that bear an eschatological character.  They promote the fear of God and the Day of Judgment.%The text is written in small black shikastah-nasta'liq script on a piece of paper painted in light brown in such a manner that it looks like papyrus, bark, or bamboo.  The text panel is pasted directly onto a purple sheet of paper backed by cardboard.  Although the letter is neither signed nor dated, it appears to have executed in Persia (Iran) during the 17th-18th centuries.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			12.8 (h) x 20.1 (w) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.52		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000149	resourceid|ascs-100,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.100	cll|Khan Zaman	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 9 (w) x 15 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 7.5 (w) x 18 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th-century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%The recto of this particular fragment bears the attribution to Khan Zaman at the top (khatt-i Khan Zaman).  In the lower horizontal frame appears a fragment of a seal impression in which the following names can be deciphered: Muhammad bin... Shah Ghazi...Khan Fadavi.  The composition on the white paper consists of a letter addressed to the writer's dear friend or brother (baradar-i mihraban-i man), in which he acknowledges receipt of the latter's letter.  The writer then states that he and his family are well, but he is disappointed that his friend cannot join them.  For this reason, he requests that his friend/brother send an agent (vakil) in his stead.%The verso of this piece has suffered heavy water damage.  At the top, however, one can still read the attribution to Khan Zaman (khatt-i Khan Zaman).  In the lower horizontal, there is a squiggle design and a pasted white piece of paper.  The composition in the center resembles the letter on the fragment's recto (1-84-154.53 R).  The author addresses his dear friend/brother (baradar-i mihraban-i man) to tell him that he misses him and wishes to see him again.  Since he cannot come, the writer requests that he get a proxy or deputy (vakalat) to carry out an action that is not specified here.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			18.6 (w) x 29.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.53		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000150	resourceid|ascs-101,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.101	cll|Qaim Khan	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 10.5 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 8 (w) x 14 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%The recto of this particular composition is attributed to Qa'im Khan, as noted by the inscription on the top "fa'la Qa'im Khan pa[sar]..." (made by Qa'im Khan, son of...).  A small squiggle design appears in the lower left corner.  The composition itself appears on a white-and-blue marble paper decorated with salmon flowers.  It begins with a praise of God ("He is the Glorified," or huwa al-'aziz), followed by two bayts (verses) of poetry on the pain of separation (firaq) composed by the great Persian poet Hafiz (d. ca. 792/1390).  The writer then states that he received his friend's letter, which was like a flower for him.  Although this letter (insha') is filled with ornate and elaborate expressions, the writer admits at the end that it was written in haste (hararahu bi al-'ajalah).%The verso, like this fragment's recto (1-84-154.54 R), is attributed to Qa'im Khan, as noted by the inscription on the top "fa'la Qa'im Khan pa[sar]..." (made by Qa'im Khan, son of...).  The composition itself appears on a white paper decorated with blue sprinkles, and consists of a polite letter (insha') addressed to a certain Navab Sahib (an title further supporting the Indian origin of these letters).  The writer states that he is pleased to have received Navab Sahib's letter, which was like a sweet smelling flower (gul-i khush bu), and is eager to see him.  He thanks Navab Sahib for having done very thoughtful things for him, and ends his letter by promising that he will not forget his kindness.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			19.1 (w) x 29 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.54		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000151	resourceid|ascs-102,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.102	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Chapters 1 and 114		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.2 (w) x 14.5 (h) cm%Script: shikastah%This calligraphic fragment is executed in fine shikastah (literally, "broken") script and includes an initial bismillah and chapters (surahs) 1 and 114 of the Qur'an.  At the top appears the first chapter of the Qur'an, entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening).  It reads:%In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. / Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds; / The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; / Master of the Day of Judgment (yawm al-din). / You do we worship, and Your aid do we seek. / Show us the straight way, / The way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.%Below the Fatihah appears one of the shortest chapters of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Nas (Mankind).  It praises God as the Lord of Mankind (Malak al-Nas) and as the Protector from Satan (literally, the "Whisperer"):%Say, I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind, / the King of Mankind, / The God of Mankind, / From the mischief of the Whisperer (al-waswas) who withdraws / And who whispers in the hearts of mankind among the spirits and men.%These two short surahs from the Qur'an appear together here probably because they are short, easily memorized, and recited aloud.  It is quite unusual, however, to find Qur'anic verses executed in shikastah, a very fluid script invented in Persia (Iran) by the 18th-century calligrapher Darvish 'Abd al-Majid al-Taliqani (Tavoosi 1987: 34-35).  During the 18th and 19th centuries, Qur'ans were written in naskh or nasta'liq, as these scripts were more legible than shikastah.  For this reason, this particular fragment stands out as scarce proof that some Qur'anic ayahs were executed in shikastah in Iran during the 18th-19th centuries.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Shikastah%Local|Arabic calligraphy			20.7 (w) x 29.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.55		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000152	resourceid|ascs-104,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.104	cll|unknown	'Id (feast day) Quatrain		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 6.5 (w) x 13.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, is written in black nasta'liq and surrounded by cloud bands on a gold background.  It is not signed or dated, although the script suggests that it was executed in Persia (Iran) sometime in the 16th or 17th century.  Provided with several monochromatic frames, the text page is pasted to a pink paper strengthened with cardboard.%In the top left corner of the text panel, an invocation to God initiates the poem with the expression"huwa al-mu'izz" (He is the Glorified).  Then follows the quatrain, which reads:%Ta dil u dast bahr u kan bashad / Dil u dast-i khudayagan bashad / Padishah-i jahan ka farmanash / Bar jahan da'iman ravan bashad%May your heart be like the sea and your hand like the mineral, / Like the heart and the hand of God, / King of the world who orders, / May you always run across the world.%This quatrain provides a prayer (du'a) for a ruler, comparing his generosity to God and hoping that his authority, much like God's, may spread far and wide.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			16th-17th centuries		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.59		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000153	resourceid|ascs-106,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.106	cll|Muhammad Husayn	Eulogy to a ruler		19th-20th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 26.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a Persian eulogy (na't) to a king, describing him as the shadow (sayah) of God on earth. The verses read:%Khuda ya bi-rahmat nadar karda'i / Ka in sayah bar khalq gustarda'i / Talabkar-i khayr-i tu am banda var / Khuda ya tu in sayah payanda dar%Oh God, You have looked (down) with mercy / Because You extended this shadow to the people / Like a slave, I seek your goodness / Oh God, You Everlasting Shadow%The verses are written in black nasta'liq script framed by cloud bands on a beige sheet of paper whose background is painted in gold.  In the upper right corner appears an invocation to God as the Guide (huwa al-hadi) written in a script known as khatt al-taj ("crown writing"), in which letters interlace to form decorative coronets.  Khatt al-taj is a rather late calligraphic invention, appearing by far and large in specimens produced during the 19th and 20th centuries (al-Bahnasi 1995, 19).%In the lower left corner of the text panel, the calligrapher has signed his work with the expression: fidavi dargah Muhammad Husayn tab' namud ("the devoted slave at [your] presence [or court], Muhammad Husayn marked [made] it").  Although otherwise unrecorded, Muhammad Husayn may have been a calligrapher active in Iran or India at the turn of the 20th century.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			15.7 (w) x 29.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.100		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000154	resourceid|ascs-108,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.108	cll|unknown	Illuminated sarloh (frontispiece)		18th century		This illuminated double-page frontispiece formed the opening to a text that was never transcribed.  It probably was intended to accompany a Persian poetical epic such as Nizami's "Khamsah" (Quintet) or Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" (Book of Kings).  It is also possible that it could have framed the introductory pages of a historical text or exegetical treatise.  The layout does not suit the composition of the beginning of a Qur'an, which typically includes a central medallion used for the first chapter entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening), as seen in another fragment of an illuminated frontispiece in the Library of Congress (see 1-85-154.87).%The illumination found here is called a sarlawh or sarloh, which literally signifies a tablet or panel at the top of a page.  In fact, the decorative panel at the upper part of the right side of the folio is heavily ornamented with interlacing finials and geometric scrollwork, whose base hues alternate between blue, gold, and red.  Immediately below the sarloh appears a gold rectangular cartouche left blank but originally included to contain the work's title.  All around the margins of the folios appear vines of leaves and flowers, whose light pink and blue tones give the composition a shimmering quality.%The illumination -- with its combination of reds and blues, as well as the lighter blue and pink tones -- appears in Persian manuscripts of the 18th century.  Unlike earlier illuminated patterns, which are dominated by dark blues and blacks (see 1-85-154.87), the palette of this piece is lighter and reveals some of the color innovations in illuminated frontispieces after the waning of the Timurid mode.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			50.9 (w) x 66.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.62		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000155	resourceid|ascs-109,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.109	cll|unknown	Bayts (verses) of poetry		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq in khatt-i nakhani%This calligraphic fragment is unique in the collections of the Library of Congress, as it uses no ink at all.  Instead, the text is executed in a style known as "fingernail calligraphy" (khatt-i nakhani), in which either a nail or a metal stylus is used to create topographical impressions on a monochromatic (usually white) sheet of paper.  Although not very much is known about this inkless calligraphic practice, a number of signed and dated specimens held in international collections (the New York Public Library, the Bern Historical Museum in Switzerland, the Gulistan Palace in Tehran) prove that khatt-i nakhani thrived during the 19th century in Persia (Iran).  At least three albums (Gulistan mss. 1568-70) were made by the calligrapher 'Ali Akbar Darvish 1266-7/1849-51 for the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah (r. 1848-96), while even the daughter of the ruler Fath 'Ali Shah Qajar (r. 1797-1834), Fakhr-i Jahan, was a master of the technique, herself having created an album of ten "fingernail" paintings and calligraphies (Gulistan ms. 1574).  Possibly linked to the rise of lithography and the printing press, this Qajar practice discards the traditional tools of the reed pen and ink in favor of a more abstract and experimental approach towards calligraphy.%This particular example of khatt-i nakhani in nasta'liq script includes one bayt (lines 2 and 4) of poetry unrelated to two single verses or tak bayts (lines 1 and 3).  Although difficult to decipher, the verses describe human vagabondage:%Bayt (lines 2 and 4):%Rashta'i dar gardanam afkanda dust / Mikashad har ja ka khatir khwahu-st%A friend has placed a rope around my neck, / He drags me anywhere he wants.%Tak Bayts (lines 1 and 3):%Ikhtiyari dar safar nabud mara / Manzalam gah Ka'ba sazad gah dayr%I had no choice in my travel: / Sometimes (He) builds my home as the Ka'ba, sometimes as a monastery.	Local|Nasta'liq in khatt-i nakhani%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Arabic calligraphy			18.4 (w) x 28.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.63		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000156	resourceid|ascs-110,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.110	cll|Muhyi	Love's throws		ca. 1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a number of poetical verses  written diagonally, horizontally, and vertically in separate panels of beige and gold paper.  Two gold horizontal panels at the top and bottom include the following bayts (verses):%Tan-i pakat ka zir-i pirahan ast / Vahdahu la sharik lah (lahu), cha tan ast!%Your body that is under (your) shirt, / "It is alone, it has no equal," what a body it is!%Drawing on the symbolic potential of the Arabic expression for proclaiming the unity of God ("He is Alone and Has no Partner"), the poem describes the divine beauty of the beloved.%In the main text panel, a quatrain (ruba'i) written diagonally in large black nasta'liq script describes the humiliation of love's untamed passion:%Savar-i amadi u sayd-i khud kardi dil u tan ham / Kamand-i aql bugsasti lajam-i nafs-i tu san ham / Bi-daman minahuftam gariya nagah mast biguzashti / Shudam rusva man-i tar daman u sad pak daman ham%You came riding and you hunted my heart and body for yourself / You cut the rope of reason and leashed in the horse's passion / I was hiding my crying in my robe, (and) suddenly you passed by intoxicated (with love) / I became disgraced, I with a wet robe and one hundred others with clean robe(s).%In the lower left gold thumb piece of the main text panel appears the signature of a certain Muhyi, who states that he wrote the text (katabahu) and asks forgiveness for his sins. Muhyi may be identified either as Muhyi al-Din al-Khurasani (Qadi Ahmad 1959, 220) or Mawlana Muhyi (Huart 1972, 75) active ca. 1550-1600.  This fragment, therefore, probably belonged to an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies produced during the Safavid period in Iran.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			21.1 (w) x 33 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.64		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000157	resourceid|ascs-111,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.111	cll|unknown	Verses by Baba Tahir		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes various excerpts in both prose and verse.  In the central blue panel, verses by the 11th-century Persian poet Baba Tahir describe his helplessness and inferiority:%Man u murum ka dar payam bamaland / Na zanburum ka az nasham banaland%I am that ant which is crushed underfoot / Not the bee from whose sting they suffer%Other Persian verses appear both above and below the central panel, and in the left vertical a register contains an elaborate prose prayer (du'a) wishing a king prosperity and happiness.%The texts are executed in black nasta'liq script on variously colored papers decorated with designs in gold paint, cut out individually and pasted together into one composition.  Triangular areas left empty by the intersection of diagonal lines of text and rectangular frames are filled with blue and gold illumination.  The whole text panel is pasted to a larger sheet of cream-colored paper decorated with gold flecks and backed with cardboard.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed.  However, it appears to have been produced in 16th- or 17th- century Iran and placed later into an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy			21.5 (w) x 33.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.66		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000158	resourceid|ascs-113,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.113	cll|Hasan Shamlu	Quatrain for the loved one		17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.3 (w) x 16 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, describing competition for the loved one.  At the top, the verses are initiated by an invocation to God ("He," or huwa), and its numerical (abjad) equivalent 111.  The poem then reads:%An kas ka bi-dast jam darad / 'Aysh u tarab-i mudam darad / Ma u may u zahidan u taqva / Ta yar sar-i kudam darad%That person who holds a glass (of wine) in his hand / Has everlasting pleasure and joy. / We, wine, devout and pious ones, / Which one will the beloved prefer?%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper and are outlined in cloud bands on a background painted in gold.  The text panel is provided by several monochromatic frames and pasted to a larger pink sheet of paper backed by cardboard.%The calligrapher Hasan Shamlu has signed his work in the lower right corner of the text panel with the expression "written by..."(mashaqahu...).  Hasan Shamlu (d. ca.1666-7) was a calligrapher in nasta'liq script who followed closely the style of his predecessor Mir 'Imad (d. 1615).  Although works by Hasan Shamlu are rather uncommon (Mehdi Zadeh 1369/1950: 50-51), Mir 'Imad's calligraphies are well attested to in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-85-154.77, 1-87-154.160, 1-90-154.162).  Both calligraphers provide a continuum of calligraphic works produced in nasta'liq script in (Greater) Persia during the course of the 17th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry			20.5 (w) x 29.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.68		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000159	resourceid|ascs-115,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.115	cll|'Abdallah	Sample of a hopeful letter		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 20.3 (w) x 21.7 (h) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment comprises a sample of how to write a letter to a friend.  Written in a fluid shikastah-nasta'liq in black ink, the text is outlined in cloud bands and placed on a background painted in gold.  Several borders in orange, blue and gold frame the text panel, which is pasted to a larger sheet of pink paper backed with cardboard for support.%The letter begins with two verses of poetry about hope after disappointment. They read:%Murgh-i dil bin ka sukht bal u parash / Darad umid-i ashiyana hanuz hanuz hanuz...%Look at the bird of the heart, his wing and feathers burned / He has the hope (to return to) the nest, still still still...%The sample letter then proceeds with expressions that one must use when missing a friend and wishing to see him again.%The calligrapher's signature appears vertically at the top of the text panel and reads: "mashaqahu al-'abd al-aqall... Abdallah al-musammah bi-khatim al-anbiya'" (written by the modest servant Abdallah known as the "Seal of the Prophets").  The calligrapher, whose name is shared with that of the Prophet Muhammad, has also made a note that he wrote his composition in the month of Muharram.  Although he does not specify the year, the script is typical of 18th-century Persian calligraphic works.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq			19.3 (w) x 29.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.70		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000160	resourceid|ascs-116,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.116	cll|unknown	Ghazal by Sa'di		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.5 (w) x 21.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment contains a lyric poem (ghazal) by the Persian poet Shaykh Sa'di (d. 691/1292).  The verses describe a lover's search for his beloved and his request that she show herself to him.%The verses are written in nasta'liq script using white, light blue, red, and yellow ink on a blue paper.  Colored (rangin) inks add variety to the composition and are found in a number of calligraphies produced during the 16th century.%The corners left open by the intersection of the diagonal verses and the rectangular frame are decorated by illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces).  The text panel is framed by a border consisting of cream-colored paper decorated with gold flecks cut out and pasted to the folio.  The composition is placed on a larger beige sheet of paper decorated with deer, birds, and various vegetal motifs.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed.  However, it appears to have been produced in Safavid Iran and placed later into an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq			19.4 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.71		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000161	resourceid|ascs-117,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.117	cll|'Imad al-Hasani	Quatrain on reaching divine unity		early 17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.6 (w) x 17.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, on the subject of spiritual transformation.  At the top right, an invocation to God ("huwa al-'aziz," or "He is the Glorified") precedes the quatrain's verses, which read:%Ta hasil-i dardam sabab darman shud / Pastim bulandi shud u kufr iman shud / Jan u dil u tan hijab-i rah bud kunun / Tan dil shud u dil jan shud u jan janan shud%When the close of my pain became the reason of my cure / My lowness changed into loftiness, and disbelief became faith / Spirit and heart and body were the obstacle to the path (toward God) / But now body became heart, heart became spirit, and spirit became the "Spirit of Spirits"%The mystic describes his path towards God as veiled (hijab) because of his physical self.  Only once he transforms himself into pure spirit can he be united with God, the "Spirit of Spirits" (jan janan).  This motif of revelation and divine unity through spiritual metamorphosis is typical of mystical ('irfani) poets such as Rumi.%Below the quatrain, the calligrapher (Mir) 'Imad al-Hasani has signed his work with his name and a request for God's forgiveness.  Mir 'Imad (d. 1615) was born in 1552, spent time in Herat and Qazvin, and finally settled in Isfahan (then capital of Safavid Persia), where, as a result of his implication in court intrigues, he was murdered in 1615.  He was a master of nasta'liq script, whose works were admired and copied by his contemporaries, and later collected by the Mughals (Welch et al 1987: 32-36).%Many works in international collections are signed by him (inter alia, Safwat 1996, cat. nos. 53 and 62; and Lowry and Beach 1988: no. 456), although whether all these pieces are by his hand remains uncertain.  Other calligraphies bearing his name in the collections of the Library of Congress include: 1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.77, 1-87-154.160, 1-90-154.162, and 1-99-106.13 R.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			21 (w) x 34.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.72		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000162	resourceid|ascs-118,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.118	cll|unknown	Verses by Shaykh Baha'i		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.2 (w) x 21.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by Shaykh Baha'i, a Persian mystical poet of the 11th century.  The poem describes the many ways in which to express one's love of God:%Ay tir-i ghammat-ra dil-i 'ushshaq-i nishana / Khalqi bi-tu mashghul u tu ghayab za zamana (za) miyana / Gah mu'takif-i dayram u gah sakin-i masjid / Ya'ni ka tura mitalabam khana bi-khana / Harkas bi-zabani sukhan-i 'ishq-i tu guyad / 'ashiq bi-surud-i ghamm u mutrib-i tarana%Oh, the arrow of Your grief (is) the target of Your lovers' heart(s) / People are mesmerized by You, but You are absent from both time and place / Sometimes I retire to my monastery, others I inhabit a mosque / That means that I search for You from house to house / Everyone speaks about his love for You in (his own) language / The lover by the song of sorrow and the minstrel by (his) melody%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script in diagonal on a cream-colored paper decorated with delicate flower and leaf motifs painted in gold.  The spaces created by the intersection of the diagonal lines of text and the rectangular frame are filled by illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces).  The central text panel is framed by several borders, including an outermost border which contains further verses in Persian individually cut out and pasted into the rectangular panels.  The entirety of the composition is contained on a beige sheet of paper painted with gold flowers and backed by cardboard.%The composition is neither signed nor dated; however, the script and decorative style are typical of calligraphies made during the Safavid period (16th century) in Persia.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy			14.8 (w) x 23 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.73a		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000163	resourceid|ascs-119,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.119	cll|Mahmud b. Mawlana Khwajah	Verses by Jami		16th century (?)		This calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by the Persian poet Jami  (d. 897/1492), whose full name (Mawlana 'Abd al-Rahman Jami) is noted in the topmost panel.  In larger script appears a lyric poem (ghazal), in which a lover sighs and complains about the lack of news from his beloved.  The central text frames, bordered on the right and left by illuminated panels, contain an iambic pentameter quatrain (ruba'i) written in smaller script.  The quatrain encourages true and eternal love of God rather than passing infatuations:%Har surat-i dilkash ka tura ruy namud / Khwahad falakash zud za chasm-i tu rubud / Ru dil bi-kasi dah ka dar atvar-i vujud / Bud ast hamisha ba tu u khwahad bud%Every beautiful face that manifested itself to you / Quickly the heavens will remove it from your eyes / Go and give your heart to the person in the bounds of existence / Who has always been with you, and always will%The text is executed in black nasta'liq script on a blue piece of paper sprinkled with gold flecks.  Every verse is framed by a gold line and separated by a gutter or border illuminated with panels in gold, pink, and orange hues.  The whole of the text panel is pasted onto a larger orange sheet of paper backed by cardboard.%In the lowest panel appears the calligrapher's signature, which reads: mashaqahu al-'abd (written by the servant) Mahmud b. Mawlana Khwajah.  Although very little is known about this calligrapher, the hues and decorative motifs of this fragment suggest that it was made in Central Asia (perhaps in Shaybanid Bukhara or Samarqand) during the 16th century.%Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 21.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			14.2 (w) x 23.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.73b		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000164	resourceid|ascs-121,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.121	cll|unknown	Illuminated frontispiece		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Empty (Text) Panel: 10.7 (w) x 20.6 (h) cm%This illuminated frontispiece was intended for a compendium (divan) of poems, which included collections (kulliyat) of fragmentary verses (muqat'at) and lyric poems (qasa'id), among many.  The names of each book (kitab) is inscribed in white ink in every individual rectangular panel on the vertical left border of the frontispiece.  These title panels are painted directly on the cardboard, which serves as a backing for the rest of the salvaged frontispiece.  For this reason, they possibly are not part of the original piece.%The frontispiece consists of a central roundel decorated with seven blue petals stemming from a central orange circle bordered on its perimeter by a gold strip.  The outer perimeter is decorated in red, and delicate finials emanate like rays from the central roundel.  The corners of the central panel are also filled with illuminated patterns, forming a diamond-shaped plain panel.  All around the rectangular panel further decorative medallions ornament the margins of the page, which is pasted to the aforementioned cardboard.%This frontispiece may have belonged to a Persian manuscript made in the 16th or 17th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			23.1 (w)  x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.75		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000165	resourceid|ascs-124,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.124	cll|'Imad al-Hasani al-Katib	Safinah fragment		early 17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 5.5 (w) x 10.1 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment forms the first page of an album in a longitudinal shape (safinah).  At the top appear a fine illuminated panel and finial (sarloh) with gold and blue flower and vine motifs.  In the upper and lower corners, two gold and blue illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces) fill in the remaining spaces between the rectangular frame and the diagonal lines of text.%The text is written in black nasta'liq on beige paper.  It includes three bayts (verses) praising God and describing humans' inability to comprehend His power:%Subhan khaliqi ka sifatash za kabriya' / Bar khak-i 'ajz mifakanad 'aql-i anbiya' / Gar sad hazar sal hama khalq-i kaniyat / Fikrat kunand dar sifat-i 'izzat-i khuda / Akhir bi-'ajz mu'tarif ayand kay alah / Danasta shud ka hich nadanasta-im ma%Praise be to the Creator, whose description is of Greatness, / Who dropped on the dust of inability the wisdom of the Prophets. / If for one hundred thousand years, all created beings / Thought about the depiction of God's glory, / Finally they would admit (their) incapacity / To know God, as we (still) will never know.%Around the vertical border of the text panel, the calligrapher (Mir) 'Imad al-Hasani al-Katib ("the writer") has signed his work along with a request for God's forgiveness.  Mir 'Imad (d. 1615) was born in 1552, spent time in Herat and Qazvin, and finally settled in Isfahan (then capital of Safavid Persia), where, as a result of his implication in court intrigues, he was murdered in 1615.  He was a master of nasta'liq script, whose works were admired, copied, and collected (Welch et al 1987: 32-36).%Many works in international collections are signed by him (inter alia, Safwat 1996, cat. nos. 53 and 62; and Lowry and Beach 1988: no. 456), although whether all these pieces are by his hand remains uncertain.  Other calligraphies bearing his name in the collections of the Library of Congress include: 1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-87-154.160, 1-90-154.162, and 1-99-106.13 R.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			7.3 (w) x 18.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.77		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000166	resourceid|ascs-127,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.127	cll|unknown	Mufradat exercises		17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.1 (w) x 19.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This particular calligraphic fragment creates an illuminated carpet page, which combines letter (mufradat) exercises on three horizontal lines and Persian poetical excerpts written in diagonal between colored triangular corners (called "thumb pieces").  It is the first of two fragments from the same fragmentary album held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-85-154.81).%Albums of mufradat exercises include the single letters (al-huruf al-mufradah or, in the Ottoman tradition, huruf-i muqatta'a) of the Arabic alphabet in sequence, followed by letters in their composite form (in the Turkish tradition, murekkebe, lit. "pairs").  Exercise books begin at least by the 17th-century in Ottoman and Persian lands. They were used as books of exemplars of calligraphy to introduce students into the practice of  husn al-khatt (beautiful handwriting) and bear witness to the chain of transmission of calligraphic knowledge throughout the centuries (Safwat 1996: 12-3).%This fragment includes double letter combinations with the letters b, gutteral t and gutteral s, and subsequent letters of the alphabet arranged in three horizontal registers.  Immediately below each horizontal band of composite letters appear a series of Persian verses by several authors.  The poetry of Abu Sa'id Abu al-Khayr and Shaykh Awhad al-Din is quoted.  Awhad al-Din can be identified as Hakim Awhad al-Din Anvari (d. ca. 1189), an early Persian poet who composed a compendium of poems (kulliyat) often quoted in illuminated or illustrated poetical works produced during Timurid and Safavid rule in Iran.%The lowest horizontal band containing motifs on a black ground and two gold scalloped roundels is composed of two rectangular panels cut out from another work and pasted onto the sheet.  This procedure shows that materials were culled from other sources and recycled' in other works, such as this poetical letter album.%There are a number of other letter exercise albums in the collections of the Library of Congress.  One album stands out in particular, as it is complete and was signed by the 20th-century calligrapher Muhammad Muhsin (see 1-87-154.128a-b, 1-87-154.128b and 1-88-154.36a-b).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			21.4 (w) x 32.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.80		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000167	resourceid|ascs-128,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.128	cll|unknown	Mufradat exercises		17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.3 (w) x 19.4 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This particular calligraphic fragment creates an illuminated carpet page, which combines letter (mufradat) exercises on three horizontal lines and Persian poetical excerpts written in diagonal between colored triangular corners (called "thumb pieces").  It is the second of two fragments from the same fragmentary album held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-85-154.80).%Albums of mufradat exercises include the single letters (al-huruf al-mufradah or, in the Ottoman tradition, huruf-i muqatta'a) of the Arabic alphabet in sequence, followed by letters in their composite form (in the Turkish tradition, murekkebe, lit. "pairs").  Exercise books begin at least by the 17th-century in Ottoman and Persian lands.  They were used as books of exemplars of calligraphy to introduce students into the practice of husn al-khatt (beautiful handwriting) and bear witness to the chain of transmission of calligraphic knowledge throughout the centuries (Safwat 1996: 12-3).%This fragment includes double letter combinations with the letters h, gutteral s and sh and subsequent letters of the alphabet arranged in three horizontal registers.  Immediately below each horizontal band of composite letters appear a series of Persian verses by several authors.  One is identified with the epithet Sa'd al-Haqq wa-al-Din: he may be synonymous with the great Persian poet Sa'di (d. 691/1292).%The lowest horizontal band containing motifs on a dark blue ground and two gold scalloped roundels is composed of two rectangular panels cut out from another work and pasted onto the sheet.  This procedure shows that materials were culled from other sources and recycled' in other works, such as this poetical letter exercise.  In the right margin appears the number 13, which indicates that the folio was probably one of many pages in a now dispersed album.%There are a number of other letter exercise albums in the collections of the Library of Congress.  One album stands out in particular, as it is complete and was signed by the 20th-century calligrapher Muhammad Muhsin (see 1-87-154.128a-b, 1-87-154.128b and 1-88-154.36a-b).	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			21.2 (w) x 32.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.81		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000168	resourceid|ascs-130,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.130	cll|unknown	Note about the construction of a takiyah-khanah		20th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 67.4 (w) x 95.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This large piece of paper, constructed of a number of separate sheets pasted together, includes four lines of writing in nasta'liq script.  At the top appears the number 786, which in the abjab (letter number) system is equivalent to sum total of the letters appearing in the bismillah.  In other words, the number 786 at the top of the page functions as an initial praise of God, the Merciful, the Beneficient, immediately before the text's main contents.  The four lines immediately below read:%Satta zamana Muhammad Ali bana farmud / Imam barapay dhikr va majlis-i Hasanayn / Za ruya ah dilam khwand nuha ta'rikh / Bana-yi ta'ziya va matam-i Imam Husayn.%These lines specify that a certain Muhammad Ali ordered the construction of a building intended for the commemorations  (dhikr) services and mourning (matam) ceremonies of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn.  Such a building is called a takiyah or takiyah-khanah, and was used for the staging of Shi'i passion plays (ta'ziyah) reenacting the tragic events at Karbalah in 680.  Takiyahs were built by Shi'i communities in Iran and India during the 19th and 20th centuries.  For example, one of the most famous takiyahs was ordered built by Mu'avin al-Mulk in Kermanshah (southwestern Iran) in 1313/1895-6.  A lavishly decorated and multipart complex, it was constructed for a variety of religious events and performances linked to Imam Husayn's martyrdom.%For an in-depth study of Shi'i passion plays (ta'ziyah), see Peter Chelkowski, "Ta'ziyeh: Ritual and Drama in Iran" (New York: NYU Press, 1979).	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			67.4 (w) x 95.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.85		intldl/ascs			19000000	text	tx	
ascs000169	resourceid|ascs-133,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.133	cll|Muhammad Husayn al-Katib	Verses by Amir Khusraw Dihlavi		998/1590		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.3 (w) cm x 29.2 (h)%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a number of verses written by the poet Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (d. 1325), whose name is noted in the upper right corner of the central text panel (li-Amir Khusraw).  The verses describe the permanence of love as a flower bud in perpetual blossom, and read:%An hama shakal khush-i dilkash ka dar gulzar ast / Khar dar chashmam agar za anha yaki chun yar ast / Miravam sad bar dar gulzar u miayam birun / Vaz parishani namidanam ka gul dar bar ast / Khak-i Kisra gul shud u taj-i murassa' khak shud / Nam-i ashiq hamchanan bar har dar u divar ast%This so beautiful, pleasing one in the rose garden / (May God place) a thorn in my eyes if one of them (the flowers) is similar to you / I enter and leave the garden a hundred times / (and) because of my distress I do not know which flower is in bloom / The dust of Kisra became a flower and the bejeweled crown turned to dust / The name of the lover still (remains) on every door and wall%The text panel is framed by a number of other verses held in registers on a pink or blue ground painted with gold designs, and is pasted to a larger sheet of blue paper with deer and flowers painted in gold.  The composition is backed with cardboard for strengthening.%In the lower left corner and on the two horizontal lines of text below the central panel, the calligrapher Muhammad Husayn al-Katib ("the writer") has signed his work with his diminutives and his request for God's forgiveness of his sins.  He also states that he completed the calligraphic panel in the year 998/1590.  The calligrapher Muhammad Husayn either appears to have been active during the reign of the Safavid Shah 'Abbas I  (r. 15871629) or could be identified as the calligrapher active in Shah Isma'il II's (r. 1776-77) atelier until he found employment in India (Huart 1972: 230 and 319).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Poetry%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			39 (w) cm x 27.7 (h)		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.89		intldl/ascs			15900000	text	tx	
ascs000170	resourceid|ascs-134,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.134	cll|unknown	A friend's letter		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.2 (w) x 16.6 (h) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment provides an incomplete letter from a man to his friend written in a fine shikastah-nasta'liq script typical of 18th-century compositions from Persia (Iran).  Framed by cloud bands and placed on a gold background with blue vine motifs, the text is comprised of four lines.  Beginning with an invocation to God ("huwa," or He) in the top right corner, the letter continues:%Chun muddat-i mutanahi-st / Ka bi-tahriri ka qabil bashad napardakht / Chun az an dusti az dustan bi-jihat-i kasan-i / Muhabbat tu'aman juya-yi ahvalat farmud...%Because it's been a very long time / That I haven't (been able) to write a worthy letter, / Because a friend among friends wants to write to / Kind people to find out how they are doing...	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			19.4 (w) x 29.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.90		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000171	resourceid|ascs-135,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.135	cll|unknown	Beginning of Sa'di's "Gulistan"		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.7 (w) x 17.5 (h) cm%Script: Indian ta'liq%Shaykh Sa'di (d. 691/1292) composed his famous "Gulistan" (The Rose Garden) in 654/1256.  His work includes eight chapters, an introduction and a conclusion.  Each chapter narrates a number of stories, maxims and admonitions.  This fragment is the first page of the Gulistan's introduction, initiated at the top by a bismillah and followed by Sa'di's praise of God.  He states:%Praise to God of Majesty and Glory.  Obedience to him is a cause of approach and gratitude in increase of benefits.  Every inhalation of the breath prolongs life and every expiration of it gladdens our nature.  Every breath confers two benefits and for every benefit gratitude is due: Whose hand and tongue is capable to fulfill obligations of thanks to Him?%(Trans. E. Rehatsek, "The Gulistan or Rose Garden of Sadi" [New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1965], p. 57).%Executed on a white-and-brown marble (ebru or abri) paper, the text is written in black ta'liq.  This fluid cursive script is typical of 18th-century Indian compositions.  Red strokes serve to separate visually the lines of text, both in the diagonal and the vertical.  The text is framed by a salmon border and pasted to a cardboard backing decorated with a light purple paper.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Indian ta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			14.7 (w) x 22.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.92		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000172	resourceid|ascs-136,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.136	cll|Muhammad Ibrahim	Levha (panel)		1134/1721-2		Dimensions of Written Surface:  20.4 (w) x 15.5 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%This calligraphic panel, or levha, reads: "Oh 'Ali, my spirit is sacrified for you" (Ya 'Ali, ruhi fadakah).  The letters are arranged artistically to fill the calligraphic panel, making the reading of the phrase quite difficult.  Diacritics (vocalization signs) also fill in the composition's empty spaces.  Although meaning is secondary to form, this vocative phrase calling for loyalty to 'Ali  underscores the Shi'i message of the panel.%In the left vertical border, the artist Muhammad Ibrahim has included his seal and has dated his composition 1134/1721-2.  Both the right and left vertical borders are decorated with blue-and-white marble (ebru or abri) paper, while the whole composition is backed by a thick cardboard covered by pink paper.  In the left margin appears the number 205, which suggests that this particular calligraphic fragment was but one of many such specimens formerly included in an album of calligraphies.%The square seal impression of the artist Muhammad Ibrahim appears in another calligraphic fragment held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-86-154.130).  The fragment includes a mirror image of the expression "'Ali is the Vice Regent of God" ('Ali wali Allah).  Shi'i calligraphic panels such as these two works executed by Muhammad Ibrahim during the 18th century are found in Iran and India, and were either bound into albums or displayed on walls.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Thuluth%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			28.7 (w) x 18.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.93		intldl/ascs			17210000	text	tx	
ascs000173	resourceid|ascs-137,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.137	cll|unknown	Protocol of address		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 24.8 (h) cm%Script: Indian ta'liq%This fragment probably formed part of a collection of literary compositions (munsha'at) showing how to write appropriate praises to a ruler.  Like this piece, a number of these calligraphies appear to have been executed in ta'liq script in India during the 17th and 18th centuries  (see 1-85-154.4).  Other works of insha' providing examples of how to compose letters to a friend made in India at this time also are held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-87-154.146a R et seq.).%This particular fragment shows how to compose a formal praise (na't or munajat) to a ruler using his many honorific epithets (alqab).  It provides a blueprint for the literary protocols used in addressing a high-ranking patron.%Executed in black Indian ta'liq, the text is outlined in gold cloud bands on a beige paper.  The background is decorated with delicate flower and vine motifs painted in gold.  In the lower panel, three lines of text are written diagonally, while the empty spaces in the upper left and lower right corners of this panel are filled by illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces).  The text panel is framed by two blue borders and pasted to a pink sheet of paper backed by cardboard.	Local|Indian ta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			22.3 (w) x 34.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.94		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000174	resourceid|ascs-138,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.138	cll|Husayn Zarrin Qalam	Gulzar calligraphic panel		1212/1797-8		Dimensions of Written Surface: 34.5 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: gulzar%This calligraphic panel executed in black and red on a white ground decorated in gold contains a number of prayers (du'as) directed to God, the Prophet Muhammad, and his son-in-law 'Ali.  The letters of the larger words are executed in nasta'liq script and filled with various decorative motifs, animals, and human figures.  The human figures standing side-by-side in the central horizontal letter represent the eleven Shi'i imams and (a kneeling) Imam Ali, holding his double-edged sword Dhu al-Fiqar.%This decorative style of script, filled with various motifs, is called gulzar, which literally means "rose garden" or "full of flowers" (Safwat 1996, 106, cat. no. 52).  It is usually applied to the interior of inscriptions executed in nasta'liq such as this one.  The gulzar script was popular in Iran during the late 18th and 19th centuries.  This piece -- written (tahrir shud) by the callligrapher Husayn Zarrin Qalam ("Husayn of the Golden Pen") for Husayn Khan Sultan in 1212/1797-8 -- dates to the early period of Qajar rule in Iran (1785-1925).%All around the larger letters composed in the nasta'liq style and filled with motifs appear smaller Shi'i prayers purposefully executed in a number of different scripts.  These include thuluth, naskh, nasta'liq, shikastah, tawqi', and Kufi.  One inscription is even written in reverse, as if executed with the help of a mirror.  The sheer variety of these scripts, along with the larger central gulzar composition, was intended to showcase Husayn Zarrin Qalam's mastery of all the major calligraphic scripts.%Another gulzar panel by the same calligrapher (though misidentified) was published in Yasin Safadi's "Islamic Calligraphy" (Boulder, CO: Shambhala, 1979), p. 110, fig. 123.	Local|Gulzar%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			36.9 (w) x 22.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.95		intldl/ascs			17970000	text	tx	
ascs000175	resourceid|ascs-139,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.139	cll|Hafiz Nur Allah	Shi'i invocation to a ruler		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.6 (w) x 18.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment provides a Shi'i praise to a ruler by comparing him to the heroic figure of 'Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, and his famous double-edged sword Dhu al-Fiqar ("Cleaver of the Spine"):%Ay shan-i Haydari za chabin-i tu ashkar / Nam-i tu dar nabard kunad kar-i dhu al-fiqar.%Oh Dignity of Haydar, it shows on your foreheard, / Your name is like Dhu  al-Fiqar in battle.%The two verses compare a ruler to 'Ali, the "Lion of God" (Haydar Allah), and his triumphs similar to the imam's sword's ability to secure success in combat.%The text is written in black nasta'liq on a beige paper framed by light brown border cut out and pasted to a larger sheet of paper backed by cardboard.  In the outside margin, the calligrapher's name, Hafiz Nur Allah, seems to have been added subsequently.  Nothing is known about this calligrapher, although the style and content of the calligraphic fragment suggests that it was executed in a Shi'i milieu in India during the 18th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			15.2 (w) x 25.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.96		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000176	resourceid|ascs-140,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.140	cll|unknown	Mufradat exercise		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.9 (w) x 25.1 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel includes a letter exercise combining the letter "h" with all other letters of the alphabet starting with the letter "a" (alif) and ending with the letter "y" (ya).  This particular exercise shows how an initial "h" letter must be connected to any number of subsequent letters or letter combinations.  These composite letters, executed in nasta'liq script in black ink on white paper, are framed in blue and pasted to a purple piece of paper strengthened by a cardboard backing.%Albums of letter, or mufradat, exercises include the single letters (al-huruf al-mufradah or, in the Ottoman tradition, huruf-i muqatta'a) of the Arabic alphabet in sequence, followed by letters in their composite form (in the Turkish tradition, murekkebe, lit. "pairs").  Exercise books begin at least during the 17th century and are typical of Ottoman calligraphic practices.  They were used as books of exemplars of calligraphy to introduce students into the practice of husn al-khatt (beautiful handwriting) and bear witness to the chain of transmission of calligraphic knowledge throughout the centuries (Safwat 1996:12-3).%There are a number of other letter exercise sheets in the collections of the Library of Congress.  For example, see 1-85-154.84, 1-87-154.128a-b, and 1-88-154.36a-b.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			43 (w) x 28 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.97		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000177	resourceid|ascs-141,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.141	cll|unknown	Sa'di,"The Chinese Girl and the Slave"		15th-16th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 10.4 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 10.5 (w) x 19.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment and its verso (1-85-154.98 V) include the text of Story 40 from Sa'di's (d. 691/1292) "Gulistan" (The Rose Garden).  This story describes a king's giving away of a Chinese servant girl to his slave after she refused the king's drunken advances.%The text on the recto describes the slave in an unflattering manner. While on the verso, the text continues by describing the king's giving away of the Chinese servant girl to the slave, since she was already "consumed."  The terminal verses indeed conclude:%The thirsty heart does not wish for limpid water / Half of which was consumed by a fetid mouth. / How can a king's hand again touch / An orange after it has fallen into dung?%The text is written in black nasta'liq script on a blue paper framed by several borders and pasted to a beige paper decorated by flower and leaf motifs painted in gold.  The prose part of the text is executed in continuous horizontal lines, while the poetical verses interspersed throughout the narrative are outlined by rectangular frames provided with central gutters.  This layout is found in manuscripts of Sa'di's "Gulistan" produced during the Timurid and Safavid periods in Persia (Iran), i.e., during the 15th and 16th centuries.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy			21.7 (w) x 32.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.98		intldl/ascs			14000000	text	tx	
ascs000178	resourceid|ascs-142,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.142	cll|Agha Muhammad 'Ali	'Id (feast day) prayer for good fortune		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 17.9 (w) x 32.9 (h) cm%Script: Indian naskh%This calligraphic fragment includes two bayts (verses) wishing its owner prosperity and happiness on the occasion of an 'id.%'id shud jashn-i nu mubarak bad / taj-i dawlat tura bi-tarak bad / hafiz u nasirat bi-har du jahan / sura-yi fath ba tabarak bad%It is 'id, congratulations on the new celebration / May the crown of fortune be your summit / May the Chapters of Victory and Blessing / Be your protectors and supporters in both worlds.%In this prayer probably written for the celebration of the New Year ('Id-i Noruz), a patron is wished protection through two Qur'anic chapters, namely Surat al-Fath (Victory, Qur'an 48) and Surat Tabarak (Blessing), otherwise known as Surat al-Mulk (The Kingdom, Qur'an 67).  These two verses of the Qur'an are known for their apotropaic and protective powers, and thus are appropriate in a prayer wishing success and well-being.%The verses are executed in Indian naskh script in dark brown ink and are framed by cloud bands on a background painted with a light brown wash.  Each bayt is executed in diagonal and contained in a separate rectangular frame.  The whole of the text frame has been pasted to a larger sheet of beige paper backed by cardboard.%In the lower left corner appears the calligrapher's signature, which reads: mashaqahu al-faqir (written by the poor) Agha Muhammad 'Ali (or Muhammad 'Ali Agha).  Part of the signature -- along with the last word (bad) of the poem's final verse -- has been filled in later, since a part of the original calligraphy was lost or damaged.%Muhammad 'Ali is otherwise unrecorded.  However, judging from the fragment's script and theme (e.g., 1-04-713.19.3, 1-04-713.19.49, 1-04-713.19.48, and 1-84-154.51), it is possible to suggest that this piece was executed in India sometime during the 18th or 19th century as a New Year's gift to an eminent patron.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Indian naskh			27.8 (w) x 43.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-85-154.99		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000179	resourceid|ascs-152,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.152	cll|unknown	Advice (nasihat) to a king		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 13.8 (w) x 24.7 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 14 (w) x 25 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment includes an excerpt from Sa'di's (d. 691/1292) Bustan (The Fruit Orchard), in which he offers advice (nasihat) to a ruler.  The author counsels a king not to worry about what he does not have, because all things come to an end.  He also notes that good deeds matter, as only a man's reputation and memory remain.  Sa'di's text continues on the fragment's verso (1-86-154.140 V), as evidenced by the similar subject matter and the continuation of the catchwords (makun takiyah) in the lower left corner of the recto.%The calligraphic fragment is executed in black nasta'liq script in horizontal and diagonal lines on a beige folio decorated with polygonal motifs highlighted in gold.  Various text panels are framed by simple borders, creating a complex web of verses in a quilt-like pattern.  The text panel is framed by several borders and pasted to blue paper decorated with flower and medallion motifs painted in gold.  The folio's layout and style are typical of works produced in Safavid Persia (Iran) during the 16th century.%The number 24 appears in the lower right corner of the text panel, while the number 25 appears on the fragment's verso.  These numbers suggest that these two calligraphic fragments belonged to a larger work, either a more complete copy of Sa'di's Bustan or an album of calligraphies.%The verso of this fragment also includes an excerpt from Sa'di's  Bustan  in which he offers advice to a ruler.  It continues the text on the fragment's recto, as noted by the similar subject and the catchword in the recto's lower left corner (1-86-154.140 R).  The verses here read:%Makun takiyah bar mulk u jah u hasham / Ka pish az tu bud ast u ba'd az tu ham / Khudavand-i dawlat gham u din khurad / Ka dunya bi-har hal mibiguzarad / Nakhwahi ka mulkat barayad bi-ham / Gham-i mulk u din khurd bayad bi-ham%Don't lean on rulership, glory, and (your) retinue / Which were there before you and (will be there) after you. / The Lord of Government has to pay attention to religion / Because the world certainly will end. / If you don't want your kingdom to disappear with it, / Then be aware both of power and religion, as they go together.%Here, Sa'di warns a ruler that he must respect both earthly power (mulk) and spiritual affairs (din), as they complement each other.  Much like God (khuda) supervises religious well-being, the king too, as "Lord of Government" (khudavand-i dawlat) must administer wisely.%The verso of this calligraphic fragment is executed in a large, crisp nasta'liq script in black ink on a beige folio framed by several borders and pasted to cream-colored paper decorated with flower and vine motifs painted in gold.  The layout and style of the pages are typical of works produced in Safavid Persia (Iran) during the 16th century.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			24 (w) x 35.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.140		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000180	resourceid|ascs-153,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.153	cll|unknown	Two verses of poetry		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 16.5 (w) x 7.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%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).%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:%Shud an jan-i jahan daman kashan chun az chaman birun / Ravan shud jan-i murghan-i chaman gu'i za tan birun%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%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 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.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Poetry%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			43 (w) x 28.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.141		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000181	resourceid|ascs-155,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.155	cll|Mir 'Imad (al-Hasani) al-Qazvini	Verses on hidden love		ca. 1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.6 (w) x 24.3 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel executed in black nasta'liq script on a ground decorated with flowers painted in gold and topped by a painting depicting two foxes in a landscape describes the subterfuges of the beloved.  Omitting the unrelated verses in the upper right corner, the poem reads:%Di shana zada an mah kham-i gisura / Bar chahra nahad zulf 'anbar bura / Pushid bi-din hila ruh-i niku-ra / Ta har ka na mahram nishinashad ura%Yesterday that moon (the beloved) brushed the curls of her hair / Over her face, she placed her amber-smelling hair / By this stratagem, she covered her beautiful visage / So that he who is not allowed cannot see her%A number of letters and words are repeated in this calligraphic panel, so as to create a playful composition that fills up the entirety of the text panel.  This calligraphic game -- itself a device of dissimulation -- echoes the contents of the poem.%Below the text panel and outside the text frames, a minute inscription written in black ink appears written horizontally on the beige paper decorated with gold flecks.  The inscription attributes the calligraphy to the "qiblah of the calligraphers" (qiblat al-khattatin), Mir 'Imad Qazvini.  The calligrapher can be identified as Mir 'Imad al-Hasani (d. 1615).  He was born in 1552, spent time in Herat and Qazvin, and finally settled in Isfahan (then capital of Safavid Persia), where, as a result of his implication in court intrigues, he was murdered in 1615.  He was a master of nasta'liq script, whose works were admired and copied by his contemporaries, and later collected by the Mughals (Welch et al 1987: 32-36).  It is possible that this particular calligraphy was decorated by the painting of two foxes and pasted to a gold-flecked paper under the Mughals.  A square seal impression in the lower right corner bearing the epithet Bahadur and the date 1186/1772-3 supports the hypothesis that this piece belonged to a Mughal patron by the second half of the 18th century at the latest.%Other calligraphies by, or attributed to, Mir Imad in the Library of Congress include: 1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-85-154.77, 1-87-154.160, 1-90-154.162.	Local|Poetry%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			30 (w) x 45 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.167		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000182	resourceid|ascs-156,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.156	cll|unknown	Bahram Gur hunting		16th century		Dimensions of Painting: 24.5 (w) x 33 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface:  32.5 (w) x 44.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This painting represents an episode drawn from Nizami's "Haft Paykar" (The Seven Thrones), the fourth book of his "Khamsah" (Quintet).  The great Sasanian king Bahram Gur (r. 430-38), famous for his hunting powers and thus nicknamed "wild ass" (Bahram Gur), astonishes his companions with his quasi-divine prowess at hunting onagers.  After his expedition and as a gesture of generosity, he orders 1,200 onagers (half to be branded and half to be earmarked with gold rings) to be distributed among his people.%The scene shows the ruler and his entourage on horseback as they shoot wild animals with arrows against a pink and green landscape.  Behind a hillock appear four other men either looking at the scene below or observing the birds flying in the gold-painted sky.  Both above and below the painting are included illuminated panels of the story's text, which continues on the fragment's verso (see 1-87-154.117 V).  The illuminated panels with diagonal text and triangular corners (or "thumb pieces") in the upper right corner create a visual marker for the upcoming painting.%Although the painting is typical of 16th-century Persian compositions, it was repaired and repainted at a later date.  A large rectangular panel was added, and the painting was filled in missing areas.  Some of the characters' faces also bear overpainting.%Another painting drawn from Nizami's "Khamsah" is held in the collections of the Library of Congress, although it does not appear to come from the same manuscript. The painting represents the fainting of Laylah and Majnun, an episode described in the author's third book (see1-86-154.123 R).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			32.5 (w) x 44.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.117		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000183	resourceid|ascs-157,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.157	cll|unknown	Painting of Khusraw in battle; Shirin looks for Khusraw		20th century		Dimensions of Painting: 13.8 (w) x 17 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.9 (w) x 20.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This painting depicts a battle scene between two armies inserted into the third book of Nizami's "Khamsah" (Quintet) entitled "Khusraw va Shirin".  In this book, the adventures and battles of the Persian king Khusraw are described, as is his love for the Armenian princess Shirin.%The painting does not appear to match the text, which describes Shirin's search for Khusraw (1-87-154.124 V).  Probably inserted during the 20th century, the composition depicts soldiers on horseback attacking their fleeing enemies with drawn swords.  One soldier holds an orange war banner as well.%The text on the verso describes Shirin's search for Khusraw, which is written in red ink (raftan Shirin bi-talab-i Khusraw) in the chapter heading on the right of the third line of text.  The verses are written in black nasta'liq script in four columns, divided by three gutters marked off by gold painted vertical lines.  The text panel is framed by lines of several colors.%The original text, executed in black nasta'liq script in four columns, may date as early as the 16th century, although it also may be a modern reproduction.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			20 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.124		intldl/ascs			19000000	text	tx	
ascs000184	resourceid|ascs-184,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.184	cll|unknown	Page from the "Farhang-i Jahangiri"		ca. 1028/1619		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.8 (w) x 21.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment is the third folio of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri", a Persian lexicon purportedly executed in Agra in 1028/1618-19.  A total of four folios of this work are held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-87-154.61a V, 1-85-154-61b R & V, 1-85-154-61c R & V, 1-87-154.61d R & V).%The author of this Persian-language farhang (dictionary) was Jamal al-Din Husayn b. Fakhr al-Din Hasan Inju Shirazi (d. 1035/1626), a learned man from an old Persian noble (sayyid) family who came from Persia to Akbar's court in India.  There, he held high offices and began writing his dictionary in 1005/1596-7 at the ruler's request, basing himself on Persian poems and previous lexicographical works.  Due to the scope of his farhang and continuous revisions, he did not complete the dictionary until after Akbar's (d. 1014/1605) death, presenting the work in 1608 to his successor Jahangir instead.  For this reason, Jamal al-Din's Persian dictionary came to be known as the the "Farhang-i Jahangiri", or "Jahangir's dictionary."  Along with the "Burhan-i Qati'" and the "Farhang-i Rashidi", it is one of the three most important Persian-language dictionaries produced in Mughal India (Rypka 1968, 431).%The recto of this folio provides a list of words starting with the letters "f-r" executed in red ink and followed by their definitions and sample usages in poetical excerpts.  This list of "f-r" words continues in alphabetical order on the folio's verso (1-87-154.61a V).%A marginal gloss cross-referenced to the main text with the number 4 appears in the center and outside the right vertical purple frame.  This gloss offers additional comments and poetical excerpts on one of the words listed in the main text.%The folio's margins are decorated with birds, storks, phoenixes, and mythical animals in a garden landscape painted in gold ink. During the early 20th century, a section of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri" was acquired by the French art dealer Demotte, who cut out its pages and used the decorative margins as mounts for Safavid and Mughal paintings (Sotheby's London, Arts of the Islamic World, 3 May 2001, lot 61).  In some cases, paintings remounted on margins originally intended for the dictionary retain the marginal glosses accompanying the main text (see York Leach 1992: 64, and cat. nos. 16 and 20).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			22.4 (w) x 34.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.61a		intldl/ascs			16190000	text	tx	
ascs000185	resourceid|ascs-187,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.187	cll|unknown	Illuminated first page / identification note of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri"		ca. 1028/1619		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11 (w) x 11.8 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 13.5 (w) x 3.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment provides the first page of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri", a Persian lexicon purportedly executed in Agra in 1028/1618-19 (1-87-154.61d V).  A total of four folios of this work are held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-87-154.61a R &V, 1-85-154-61b R & V, 1-85-154-61c R & V).%The author of this Persian-language farhang (dictionary) was Jamal al-Din Husayn b. Fakhr al-Din Hasan Inju Shirazi (d. 1035/1626), a learned man from an old Persian noble (sayyid) family who came from Persia to Akbar's court in India.  There, he held high offices and began writing his dictionary in 1005/1596-7 at the ruler's request, basing himself on Persian poems and previous lexicographical works.  Due to the scope of his farhang and continuous revisions, he did not complete the dictionary until after Akbar's (d. 1014/1605) death, presenting the work in 1608 to his successor Jahangir instead.  For this reason, Jamal al-Din's Persian dictionary came to be known as the the "Farhang-i Jahangiri", or "Jahangir's dictionary."  Along with the "Burhan-i Qati'" and the "Farhang-i Rashidi", it is one of the three most important Persian-language dictionaries produced in Mughal India (Rypka 1968, 431).%The first page of the farhang includes a lavish illumination (sarloh) followed by an Arabic bismillah ("In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful") written in gold on a blue ground and followed by a translation in Persian.  Then follows Jamal al-Din's introduction, which identifies the work as a farhang or lughatnamah (book of words) containing a number of Persian- and Arabic-language words (lughat) and expressions (istalahat) compiled from a variety of works in prose (nazm) and verse (shi'r).  After his introduction, he includes an excerpt of poetry in Persian, whose verses are separated by three small dots executed in red ink.%The note on the verso identifies Jamal al-Din's work as having been completed in the Mughal capital (dar al-sultanah) Agra in the month of Jumadah I 1028/April 1619.  Below the note appears a smeared area, which may have contained a former owner's ex-libris mark or reading statement.  A sheet of gold also has been added to the lower part of the folio, camouflaging two seal impressions.  Below the smudge and on top of the gold leaf appears a later note written in diagonal giving the truncated title of the work, i.e.,  "Kitab-i Farhang" (Dictionary).%The text is framed by lavish gold illuminated borders and margins decorated with putti, phoenixes, and grapes painted in gold ink.  During the early 20th century, a section of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri" was acquired by the French art dealer Demotte, who cut out its pages and used the decorative margins as mounts for Safavid and Mughal paintings (Sotheby's London, Arts of the Islamic World, 3 May 2001, lot 61).  In some cases, paintings remounted on margins originally intended for the dictionary retain the marginal glosses accompanying the main text (see York Leach 1992: 64, and cat. nos. 16 and 20).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			22.1 (w) x 34.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.61d		intldl/ascs			16190000	text	tx	
ascs000186	resourceid|ascs-188,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.188	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.1 (w) x 14.5 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes the last verse (88) of the 28th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Qasas (The Stories), as well as the illuminated heading and first six verses of the subsequent (29) chapter entitled al-'Ankabut (The Spider).  The text of Surat al-'Ankabut continues with verses 7-11 on the fragment's verso (1-87-154.79 V).%Surat al-'Ankabut dates from the late Meccan period and contains 69 verses.  It warns that belief always is tested by trial and personal conduct:%Do men think that they will be left alone / When they say "We believe" and that they will not be tested? / We did test those before them, / And God will know those who are true from those who are false (29:2-3)%Those who believe and perform righteous deeds, / From them will We blot out all evil that may be in them, / And We will reward them according to the best of their deeds (29:7)%The text is written in Kufic D.I script, in which red dots indicate vocalization.  No a posteriori diacritical marks have been added to the text.  This particular script typifies Qur'ans of the 9th century, which began to prefer a vertical, rather than horizontal, format at this time (Droche 1992: 120-121, cat. no. 66).  Verse markers are barely visible to the naked eye and consist of three adjacent circles forming a triangle.%The illuminated heading of Surat al-'Ankabut is damaged due to wear and being placed on the flesh side of the parchment (because of its pore holes, the hair side on the fragment's verso holds ink better).  Nevertheless, it appears that the chapter's title was executed in gold ink on the plain folio and provided with a rectangular gold frame.  In the left margin appear the remaining traces of a gold decorative palmette, truncated at the edge due to cropping.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses			28.5 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.79		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000187	resourceid|ascs-189,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.189	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		10th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 6 (w) x 8 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes two folios with verses from chapters 69, 70, 76, and 77 of the Qur'an.%The folio on the right includes the terminal verses (30-31) of the 76th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Insan (Man) and the illuminated heading and first three verses of the 77th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Mursalat (Those Sent Out).  The verso of the right folio includes immediately preceding verses (25-30) of the 76th chapter (see 1-87-154.82a V, right).%The folio on the left includes the terminal verses (46-52) of the 69th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Haqqah (The Truth), as well as the illuminated heading of the 70th chapter entitled al-Ma'arij (The Ways of Ascent).  The 70th surah continues with verses 1-5 on the verso of this fragment (see 1-87-154.82a V, left).  The left folio is most closely associated with a bifolio from the same Qur'an in the collections of the Library of Congress, which contains verses 1-19 of Surah al-Haqqah (1-84-154.28b R & V).  It appears that these folios were drawn from a manuscript (1417) formerly in the Chester Beatty Library (see A.J. Arberry, "A Koran in Persian' Kufic," Oriental College Magazine [May and August 1964]: 9-16).%The text is written in Kufi (New Syle III).  Red dots indicate vocalization, while vowel signs and orthoepics (pronunciation marks) were added in black ink at a later date. One dot below the letter ra (r) serves to differentiate it from the zayn  (z).  The script, vocalization marks, and vertical format show some of the advances in Kufi calligraphy and Qur'an production during the 10th century (see (Droche 1992: 144-145, cat. no. 79).%Verse markers consist of gold flowers, while ayah markers indicating every fifth verse are shaped like gold droplets or plain gold disks.  Two juz' (section) markers appear in the margins and are shaped like flowers provided with gold petals and an inscribed center.  Both chapter headings (al-Mursalat on the right and al-Ma'arij on the left) are executed in gold ink.  They provide each surah's  title and its number of verses, and end in ornate gold marginal palmettes slightly lost on the edges due to cropping.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses			9.2 (w) x 12.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.82a		intldl/ascs			09000000	text	tx	
ascs000188	resourceid|ascs-191,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.191	cll|unknown	Moral lesson (hikayat) on friendship		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.5 (w) x 13.6 (h) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment appears to comprise an excerpt from Shaykh Sa'di's (d. 691/1292) "Gulistan" (The Rose Garden), in which he provides readers with a variety of anecdotes or stories (hikayat) with moral lessons.  This text describes the anger of a king toward his servant and his desire to punish him, upon which the servant writes a letter to stress his faithfulness and to seek forgiveness.  This particular story stresses the virtue of royal clemency.%The text is executed in black shikastah-nasta'liq on a cream-colored paper.  The lines of text, which alternate diagonally, are framed by cloud bands on a gold background.  The text panel is framed with red, pink, and green borders, and is pasted to a larger sheet of paper backed by cardboard.  In the lower right corner of the frames appears a minute scribble, which may be the calligrapher's signature.  Unfortunately, it now is illegible.%Calligraphic sheets written in shikastah-nasta'liq script similar to this fragment were produced in Iran during the 17th and 18th centuries.	Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Gulzar%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			23 (w) x 32 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.83		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000189	resourceid|ascs-194,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.194	cll|Malik (Daylami)	"Munajat" of 'Abdallah Ansari		ca. 1550		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.8 (w) x 8.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a maxim drawn from the "Munajat" (Supplications) of the great Persian mystic and scholar Khwajah 'Abdallah Ansari (d. 481/1088).  The two lines describe the benefits of prayer and generosity:%Sari ka daru sujud nist safcha bah az u / Va kafi ka daru jud nist kafcha bah az u%The unripe melon is better than the head that does not prostrate / And the soup ladle is better than the palm that does not give%The two lines of text are executed in black nasta'liq script on beige paper and framed by delicate cloud bands on a gold illuminated background.  The text panel is framed by a variety of borders and pasted to a sheet of purple paper decorated with gold interlacing flower motifs.  Between and below the two main lines of text appear a minute inscription reading: "God, everyone fears You, but 'Abdallah fears himself, because everything that is good comes from You, and everything that is evil comes from 'Abdallah (i.e., the servant of God)."  This diminutive sentence serves as the author's praise of God's munificence and kindness.%Immediately after the praise of God appears the calligrapher's signature: "mashq-i Malik" (composition of Malik).  Malik may be identified as the calligrapher Malik Daylami, who was in the service of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp, who reigned from 1524 to 1576 (Huart 1972: 237-8; and Qadi Ahmad 1959: 141-5).  He was responsible for creating inscriptions for the ruler's royal buildings and collaborated with his contemporary Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri (see 1-87-154.155) in the composing of the famous "Haft Awrang" (Seven Pavilions) of Jami commissioned by the king's nephew, Sultan Ibrahim Mirza (Simpson 1993).  If this fragment indeed was composed by Malik Daylami, then it represents the output of the Persian nasta'liq school of calligraphy around the middle of the 16th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			26.6 (w) x 16.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.91		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000190	resourceid|ascs-027,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.027	cll|unknown	Saying about Imam Husayn		19th century (?)		Dimensions of Written Surface: 22.3 (w) x 14 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%This calligraphic panel contains a saying about the martyrdom of Imam Husayn at Karbalah in 680 A.D.  It reads:%The gardens of Heaven (riyad) smiled with the announcement and welcomed the star who was killed by the sons of prostitutes (awlad al-baghayah).  They announced that Husayn became a martyr (shahid) at Karbalah.  There is for us a community whose nobility exceeds that of any other community in the world.%This text is clearly Shi'i as it recalls the murder of Imam Husayn at the hands of Yazid and his troops (here, cursed as "sons of prostitutes").  It also seems to promote Shi'i Islam beyond a particular community's borders.%The text is executed in a large black thuluth script and is fully vocalized.  It is on a beige paper divided into three horizontal panels.  Several frames in gold and pink decorated with blue flowers border the text panel.  All frames are cut out from separated pieces of paper and pasted to a cardboard for strengthening.%Although this fragment is not dated, it is possible that it was produced in a Shi'i milieu in India during the 19th century. However, it is rare to find the use of thuluth script at this time.	Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			29.2 (w) x 19 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-04-713.19.33		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000191	resourceid|ascs-255,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.255	cll|unknown	Standing woman and a ghazal of Hafiz		17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.2 (w) x 19.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This painting includes an outer frame comprised of a lyric poem (ghazal) composed by the Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9).  The ghazal describes a lover's affection for his beloved until the day of his death.  The lover compares the woman's eyebrows to a mihrab (the prayer niche in a mosque) and thus the direction of his own repeated desirous entreaties.  He also states that he is willing to seek out magicians to find a love potion to spellbind her.%It appears that the poem is linked to the painting it contains, which depicts a beautiful young woman walking among plants and using her right index finger to point to her strikingly arched eyebrows.  Between her two fingers she also holds a tuft of hair, either taken from her own head or perhaps given to her by her lover as a token of his affection.  The motif of the large, arched eyebrow (abru) as a mark of feminine beauty is common in Persian art and literature.%The composition's style is typical of single-sheet paintings produced in Safavid Isfahan, the capital of Persia (Iran), during the 17th century.  At this time, painters such as Riza 'Abbasi (d. 1635) and Mu'in Musavvir (d. ca. 1707) frequently depicted single figures or lovers in embrace.  Backgrounds tend toward single tones (such as grisaille) or include various motifs lightly painted in gold as used in this particular composition.  This painting originally was signed, as a small black smudge is visible on the right of the woman's hip.  The artist's signature has been erased and is now illegible.%For comparative paintings, see Sheila Canby, "The Life and Work of the Painter Riza" (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1981).	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			22.4 (w) x 34 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-2002-154-6		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000192	resourceid|ascs-059,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.059	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		13th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 19 (h) x 12.6 (w) cm%Script: thuluth%This calligraphic fragment contains verses 34-40 of the 79th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nazi'at (Those Who Tear Out). The text continues with the surah's last verses (42-46) and the chapter heading of the 80th chapter ('Abasah) on the fragment's verso (1-84-154.15d V).  This fragment belongs to a series of three folios cut out from the same manuscript now in the Library of Congress: these provide a number of verses from chapters 78 and 79 of the Qur'an (see 1-84-154.15a R & V and 1-84.154.15b R & V).%Surat al-Nazi'at is a Meccan surah containing 46 verses, whose penultimate lines appear on this fragment.  These verses are concerned primarily with eschatological themes such as Heaven and Hell, as well as the signs that herald the hour (al-sa'at) of God's Judgment.%This fragment is written in thuluth script with gold outlined in black ink.  The text is fully vocalized in gold with sukuns (silence marks) in blue ink probably added at a later date.  The verse (ayah) markers consist of eight-petalled gold rosettes.  The marker between verses 36 and 37 visually stands out as its shape differs from the other verse markers.  It is pear-like, outlined in blue ink, and contains a central tri-lobed motif executed in gold. All around the folio appear truncated inscriptions in black ink on a piece of paper that seems to have been utilized to strengthen this particular fragment.%The script (thuluth) executed in gold and outlined in black, the text layout (five lines/page), the verse markers, and the marginal medallions all bear resemblance to a Qur'an made in the Jazirah region (Upper Mesopotamia) during the 13th century now held in the Khalili Collection in London (James 1992a: 44-49, cat. no. 7).	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Thuluth%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses			19.3 (h) x 12.6 (w) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.15d		intldl/ascs			12000000	text	tx	
ascs000193	resourceid|ascs-185,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.185	cll|unknown	Page from the "Farhang-i Jahangiri"		ca. 1028/1619		Dimensions of Written Surface: 20.8 (w) x 21.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment is the last folio of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri", a Persian lexicon purportedly executed in Agra in 1028/1618-19 (1-87-154.61d V).  A total of four folios of this work are held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-87-154.61a R & V, 1-85-154-61b V, 1-85-154-61c R & V, and 1-85-154-61d R & V).%The author of this Persian-language farhang (dictionary) was Jamal al-Din Husayn b. Fakhr al-Din Hasan Inju Shirazi (d. 1035/1626), a learned man from an old Persian noble (sayyid) family who came from Persia to Akbar's court in India.  There, he held high offices and began writing his dictionary in 1005/1596-7 at the ruler's request, basing himself on Persian poems and previous lexicographical works.  Due to the scope of his farhang and continuous revisions, he did not complete the dictionary until after Akbar's (d. 1014/1605) death, presenting the work in 1608 to his successor Jahangir instead.  For this reason, Jamal al-Din's Persian dictionary came to be known as the the "Farhang-i Jahangiri",  or "Jahangir's dictionary."  Along with the "Burhan-i Qati'" and the "Farhang-i Rashidi", it is one of the three most important Persian-language dictionaries produced in Mughal India (Rypka 1968, 431).%The recto of this folio includes a number of words and expressions beginning with the last two letters of the Arabic alphabet, namely ha' and ya'  (h and y).  This list of words ends on the folio's verso, where a new series of expressions ("az") immediately follow (1-85-154-61b V).%Marginal glosses cross-referenced to the main text with numbers appear on the left and outside the dark purple vertical text frame containing gold flowers and vines.  These notes offer additional comments and poetical excerpts on the words listed in the main text.%The folio's recto margins are decorated with Mughal youths sitting in a landscape painted in gold ink.  The folio's verso margins are decorated with various birds (including a phoenix) in a landscape painted in gold ink. During the early 20th century, a section of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri" was acquired by the French art dealer Demotte, who cut out its pages and used the decorative margins as mounts for Safavid and Mughal paintings (Sotheby's London, Arts of the Islamic World, 3 May 2001, lot 61).  In some cases, paintings remounted on margins originally intended for the dictionary retain the marginal glosses accompanying the main text (see York Leach 1992: 64, and cat. nos. 16 and 20).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy			22.7 (w) x 34.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.61b		intldl/ascs			16190000	text	tx	
ascs000194	resourceid|ascs-186,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.186	cll|unknown	Page from the "Farhang-i Jahangiri"		ca. 1028/1619		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 10.7 (w) x 22 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 10.8 (w) x 21.4 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This fragment is the second folio of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri", a Persian lexicon purportedly executed in Agra in 1028/1618-19 (1-87-154.61d V).  A total of four folios of this work are held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-87-154.61a R &V, 1-85-154-61b R & V, 1-85-154-61c V, and 1-85-154-61d R & V).%The author of this Persian-language farhang (dictionary) was Jamal al-Din Husayn b. Fakhr al-Din Hasan Inju Shirazi (d. 1035/1626), a learned man from an old Persian noble (sayyid) family who came from Persia to Akbar's court in India.  There, he held high offices and began writing his dictionary in 1005/1596-7 at the ruler's request, basing himself on Persian poems and previous lexicographical works.  Due to the scope of his farhang and continuous revisions, he did not complete the dictionary until after Akbar's (d. 1014/1605) death, presenting the work in 1608 to his successor Jahangir instead.  For this reason, Jamal al-Din's Persian dictionary came to be known as the the "Farhang-i Jahangiri",  or "Jahangir's dictionary."  Along with the "Burhan-i Qati'" and the "Farhang-i Rashidi", it is one of the three most important Persian-language dictionaries produced in Mughal India (Rypka 1968, 431).%On recto and verso the author includes an essay on the Persian language, its dialects, a summary of its grammar, and a list of the forty-four former dictionaries (farhangha) and "books of words" (kutub-i lughat) he consulted for his work.  These are listed in a grid format on this page, and continue on the fragment's verso (1-85-154.61c V).  The dictionaries include, among many, the "Farhang-i Shahnamah" (Dictionary of Firdawsi's "Book of Kings") and the "Farhang-i Ibrahimi" (Abraham's Dictionary), and a Persian dictionary compiled by Ibrahim Qivam al-Din Faruqi in 1448 for the ruler of Bengal, Barbak Shah (Rypka 1968, 721).%The text frame is illuminated with panels of interlacing flowers, and the folio's borders include a number of putti, birds, and grapes painted in gold ink.  Unfortunately, the marginal decoration suffers from a number of worm holes.  During the early 20th century, a section of the "Farhang-i Jahangiri" was acquired by the French art dealer Demotte, who cut out its pages and used the decorative margins as mounts for Safavid and Mughal paintings (Sotheby's London, Arts of the Islamic World, 3 May 2001, lot 61).  In some cases, paintings remounted on margins originally intended for the dictionary retain the marginal glosses accompanying the main text (see York Leach 1992: 64, and cat. nos. 16 and 20).	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			22.2 (w) x 34.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.61c		intldl/ascs			16190000	text	tx	
ascs000195	resourceid|ascs-199,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.199	cll|Dihya Salim al-Fahim	Hilye mounted on a wooden panel		1130/1718		Dimensions of Written Surface in center (hilye): 10.9 (w) x 21.9 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface in side panels: 3.2 (w) x 17.2 (h) cm%Script: thuluth and naskh%This hilye, or calligraphic panel containing a physical description of the Prophet Muhammad, was made in 1130/1718 in the Galata Palace (Saray Galata), Istanbul, by the calligrapher Dihya Salim al-Fahim, a pupil of Yusuf Efendi.  He dated and signed his work in a now barely legible inscription executed in white ink on a gold ground in the lowermost rectangular register of the center panel.%The hilye was a favorite composition of Ottoman artists and patrons, as it provided a calligraphic praise of the Prophet easily hung in private homes, theological schools, etc.  Also known as hilye-i serif (noble description), hilye-i saadet (description of felicity), and hilye-i nebevi (the prophetic description), this non-figurative portrait' of Muhammad was widespread and appreciated especially during the 17th and 18th centuries (Derman 2002, 33).%As in this example, the typical layout of the hilye includes a top panel (bas makam, lit. top space/heading) that contains typically the bismillah, a central circle (gobek, lit. belly) that provides the physical description of the Prophet, as well as the names of the first four caliphs in the corners of the hilye panel.  Below the central circle is a horizontal panel usually containing a verse from the Qur'an (21:107).  At the very bottom appears a rectangular panel (etek, lit. skirt) that continues the hilye text, followed by the calligrapher's name and date of execution (see Gunuc 1999: 76-77).%This particular hilye stands out, as it is mounted on a wooden board and provided with side panels that fold in much like a Christian triptych.  Perhaps drawing inspiration from practices of icon making in Christian Constantinople/Istanbul, hilyes such as this one transformed a pictorial portrait of a saint into a calligraphic description of the Prophet Muhammad.  There are a number of other 18th-century hilyes pasted onto wooden panels as well (see Safwat 1996: 54-55; Alparslan 2004: 133-4; and TvIEM 1993, pl. 38).%The two side panels include checkerboards that list the Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God (al-asma' al-husna).  Other hilyes, such as one composed by the famous calligrapher Hafiz Osman (dated 1110/1698), also contain God's names, as well as the epithets (alqab) of the Prophet Muhammad (Derman 2002: 96-7).  Much like the verbal description of the Prophet in the central panel, the names of God on the side panels are intended to represent the unity of his being (wahdat al-wujud) in a verbal, non-pictorial manner.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts			39 (w) x 17.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.13		intldl/ascs			17180000	text	tx	
ascs000196	resourceid|ascs-165,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.165	cll|unknown	The ephemerality of the world		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.7 (w) x 25.9 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic panel includes a number of verses describing the transience of worldly goods.  Two lines of Arabic poetry appear in the upper horizontal panels, and two lines of Persian poetry frame the central text panel on the right and left vertical:%(right vertical): Mara bi-juz'-i tu dar hama-yi afaq yar nist /  We have no other friend beside you in the whole world%(left vertical): Cha danad kasi ghayr-i parvardagar / Who knows except for God%(with the missing subsequent verse from Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" (The Book of Kings):%ka farda cha bezi kunad ruzagar / How the wind will play tomorrow%The four horizontal verses inscribed in black nasta'liq script on the illuminated ground of the central panel also describe the impermanence of the world:%Dunya guzaran u khud cha garmi az an / Aknun ka nasim-i sard piri-st vazan / Bar barg cha i'itimad u bar shakh-i darakht / Khasah vaqti ka mivazad bad-i khazan%The world passes and how engaged you are in it / Now that a cold breeze of old age blows / What trust in the leaf and the branch of the tree / Especially when the autumn wind (begins to) blow%Each calligraphic panel is cut out and pasted on the black background, which is provided with a pink frame decorated with gold leaves.  The composition is pasted to a larger white sheet of paper decorated with gold, blue, and red flowers and backed by cardboard.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed.  However, it appears to have been produced in 16th or 17th-century Iran and placed later into an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			31.4 (w) x 47.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.143		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000197	resourceid|ascs-166,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.166	cll|unknown	Verses by Jami		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 17.5 (w) x 26.1 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by the famous Persian poet Jami (d. 897/1492), whose name appears in the lower horizontal panel inscribed with the verse: qasd-i shuhrat (nabavad) Jami-ra (Jami does not try to seek fame).  In the two diagonal registers in the central text panel, the verses describe mystical union with God:%Agar maqsud didar ast bar gu / Agar ba haqq tura kar ast bar gu / Chu nam-i haqq shanid an mast-i hayran / (biburd) ah u bidad az yad-i haqq jan%If your wish is to meet, say so / If you need something from God, say so / When the mystic (i.e., the "intoxicated with ecstasy") heard the name of the Lord /He sighed and expired from the remembrance of God%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on brown paper and are framed by cloud bands on a gold background.  The spaces left open by the intersection of the diagonal registers and the inner frame are filled with blue, gold, and black illumination.  The text panel is framed with several borders, including one painted in white and gold containing verses inscribed in independent registers.  The outer frame is dark blue and decorated with white and red flowers, and is pasted to a larger pink sheet of paper ornamented with gold-painted flowers and backed by cardboard.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed.  However, it appears to have been produced in 16th- or 17th-century Iran and placed later into an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Poetry			31 (w) x 47 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.145		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000198	resourceid|ascs-167,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.167	cll|Lutfallah Khan	Petition for Funds; Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 5.2 (w) x 13.8 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 4.6 (w) x 11 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written in a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%This particular fragment is attributed to Lutfallah Khan, as noted by the expression "the handwriting of" (khatt-i Lutfallah Khan) written above the blue frame and below a cut out seal impression pasted in the upper horizontal margin.  The seal impression includes the year 1113/1701-2 and the name Bahadur Shams al-Dawlah Khan.  The text itself is a petition addressed to a certain Navab Sahib, asking him to endow a piece of land and provide funds for the employees working at the khanagah (monastery) of the deceased dervish Hajji Muhammad in Janpur.  He also asks for further materials (i.e., food and clothing) for the poor (fuqara') who frequent this holy place of worship.  He ends his letter by stating that he and the dervishes are busy praying for him and his welfare.%At the top of the verso of  this fragment appears a now illegible attribution note stating that the text was written in the "handwriting of" (khatt-i...).  The calligrapher may well be Lutfallah Khan, who also executed the text on the fragment's recto (1-87-154.146a R).  The text itself, written in a crisp nasta'liq, is highly florid.  It begins with a poetical excerpt dedicated to the addressee, calling him the "flower of the garden and the towers of Fortune."  The writer states that he was very happy to see him, that he was satisfied, and that he treasures their friendship.	Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			19 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.146a		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000199	resourceid|ascs-168,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.168	cll|Khan Zaman	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11.5 (w) x 14 (h)%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 6 (w) x 12.7 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th-century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written in a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%This calligraphic fragment includes a note at the top horizontal stating that the text is in the "handwriting of" (khatt-i...) Khan Zaman, the son (walad) of Khan Khanan.  In the lower horizontal margin appears a squiggle design and a cut out seal impression pasted onto the salmon paper.  The seal impression also bears the name of Khan Zaman.  The main text is executed in black ink on white paper decorated with blue sprinkles.  The author writes to his dear friend/brother (baradar-i  mahraban-i man) to tell him how much he misses him and that he is in his prayers (du'a).  Interestingly, the fragment's verso (1-87-154.146c V) provides an exact duplicate copy of this text, suggesting that the original was executed as a stencil and used as an exemplum of how to write compositions (insha') to one's friend or brother during times of separation.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian nasta'liq			19 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.146c		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000200	resourceid|ascs-169,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.169	cll|Mahabat Khan%cll|Khan Zaman	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 9.1 (w) x 12.9 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 8.5 (w) x 16.8 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written in a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%The recto of this calligraphic fragment includes a note at the top horizontal stating that the text is written (raqamahu) by Mahabat Khan.  In the lower left corner appears a squiggle design.  The main text, executed in a very fluid Indian nasta'liq, consists of a letter addressed to the writer's dear friend or brother.  He states that he received his letter and that he is well.%The verso of this page includes a note at the top horizontal stating that the text is written by the "handwriting of" (khatt-i...) Khan Zaman.  The main text is addressed to the writer's dear friend or brother (baradar-i mahraban-i man) to confirm receipt of the latter's letter.  At the end of his text (which is executed vertically to the right on the main horizontal text), the writer states that he composed his letter on the 24th of Jumadah II (a month in the Islamic lunar calendar) although he does not specify the year.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			19 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.146d		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000201	resourceid|ascs-170,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.170	cll|[...] son of Mir Afkan Khan	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 12.2 (w) x 22 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 10.5 (w) x 14 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th-century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written in a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%This particular fragment includes a now damaged attribution note at the top, stating that the calligraphy was executed by [...] son of Mir Afkan Khan.  Immediately below the attribution note appears a cut out illegible seal impression.  The main text, written in an Indian nasta'liq tending towards shikastah, begins with an invocation to God ("He is the Glorified," or huwa al-'aziz).  The writer then begins his letter to his brother or friend, stating that he was happy to receive his wonderful letter.  He hopes to see his friend/brother soon and asks him to send him news as soon as possible.%The verso of this particular fragment includes a now damaged attribution note at the top, stating that the calligraphy was executed by [...] son of  Mir Afkan Khan.  Immediately below the attribution note appears a cut out seal impression with the names "[...] al-Dawlah Bahadur" still legible.  In the lower left corner appears a squiggle design.  The main text executed on the white paper is addressed to the writer's dear friend or brother, in which he states that he received the latter's letter.  He hopes to see him and his friends on Sunday (yakshambah).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian nasta'liq			19 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.146e		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000202	resourceid|ascs-171,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.171	cll|Mir Kalan	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11 (w) x 16.1 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 7.9 (w) 16.2 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th-century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written in a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%A small note at the top of this fragment's recto  states that the work was executed in the "handwriting of" (khatt-i...) Mir Kalan.  In the lower left corner appears a squiggle motif.  The main text, written in black ink on a white piece of paper, consists of a letter.  It is initiated by a bayt  (verse) of poetry on love and separation, and continues with the writer expressing his wish to see his addressee again.  He describes his friend/brother as a son and as the source of all generosity (of which he hopes to receive some of the benefit).%This particular fragment's verso  bears a note attributing the text to a particular calligrapher, although the note is now damaged.  If written by the same writer as the text on the fragment's recto (1-87-154.146f R), then one may assume that it was executed by Mir Kalan.  The text itself, executed in black ink on a white piece of paper, begins with two bayts of poetry about joy and the need to see one's friends.  Then the writer includes his own letter, stating that he is in good health and hopes to be of use (literally, become a servant, or bandagar) to the addressee.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			19 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.146f		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000203	resourceid|ascs-174,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.174	cll|Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri	Various verses of poetry		ca. 1500-1550		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21.5 (w) x 32.3 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic page includes a number of verses of poetry in the central text area and in the many rectangular panels forming borders.  In the main, central text area appears an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, written in diagonal.  The verses solicit borrowed grandeur and read:%Kamkara nistam yara ka pish-i hazratat / Shima-yi zhirr za hal bi-nava'i ha kunam / Layk daram iltimas-i khil'at-i pakiza / Ta bapusham nadz-i mardum khud nama'iha kunam%Oh Friend, I am not successful compared to you / I appear small and indigent / Nonetheless, I beg (of you) a clean robe / So that I can wear (it) and show off in front of people%In the lower left corner of the panel containing the ruba'i, the "servant" (al-'abd) Shah Mahmud has stated that he wrote this specimen (katabahu).  The calligrapher Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri (d. 972/1564-5 in Mashhad) was one of the most celebrated masters of nasta'liq script active during the reign of the Safavid king Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-76) in Tabriz.  His beautiful handwriting earned him the nickname "Golden Pen" (Zarrin Qalam) and he was a poet in his own right (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 135-138).  A number of calligraphic fragments (qit'as) signed by him are held in international collections (see, for example, Safwat 1996, cat. no. 63; and Sackler Gallery of Art no. 37.35 a-b).%Verses immediately surrounding the main panel of text are individually cut out and pasted so as to create a textual frame, while verses in the rectangular panels contained on the outermost salmon-colored border are executed directly on the sheet of paper.  For this reason, it is possible that these verses were not executed by Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri.  Rather, they may have been added by a different calligrapher or album compiler at a later date.  All text panels have been pasted to a larger blue sheet, backed by cardboard, decorated with flowers and plants painted in gold.	Local|Poetry%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			27.4 (w) x 38.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.155		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000204	resourceid|ascs-175,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.175	cll|unknown	The lover's lament		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 7.8 (w) x 15.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a lover's lament about his beloved's indifference.  The verses read:%Tanam az ghusa figar ast, cha khwaham kardan? / Atasham dar dil-i zar ast, cha khwaham kardan? / Anka panbaya dagh ast dil-i zaram az u / Hama-ra bagh u bahar ast, cha khwaham kardan?%My body is exhausted from sorrow, what will I do? / The fire is in my burning heart, what will I do? / Because of (her), who brands my deplorable heart / (She) is a garden and spring for others, what will I do?%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper decorated with bird and leaf designs painted in gold.  The main text panel is bordered by a number of other verses in both diagonal and vertical registers forming a frame.  The entire composition is pasted to a larger sheet of paper decorated with a pounced vegetal motif in green and backed by cardboard.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed.  However, it may have been produced in Iran during the 16th or 17th century.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			16.9 (w) x 26.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.156 R		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000205	resourceid|ascs-176,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.176	cll|unknown	Nizami's "Iskandarnamah"		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.5 (w) x 22.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This folio includes a fragmentary text from Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" (Book of Alexander), the fifth book of his "Khamsah" (Quintet). Written during the last few decades of the 12th century A.D., the "Khamsah" consists of five books (kitab) written in rhyming distichs (mathnavi).%Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" recounts Alexander the Great's (d. 323 B.C.) heroic exploits, battles, and journey to China, Gog and Magog, and the end of the world.  It is loosely based on the epic narrative of Alexander's deeds as recounted by Firdawsi in his "Shahnamah" (Book of Kings), which may have drawn from the history of Alexander as penned down by his official biographer Callisthenes of Olynthus (ca. 370-327 B.C.). Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" has been translated into English by M. S. Southgate, "Iskandarnamah: A Persian Medieval Alexander-Romance" (New York, 1978).%This particular text is executed in black nasta'liq script in four columns separated by plain gutters.  The text panel is framed by lines of various colors and pasted to a larger sheet bearing a number of a posteriori notes at the top.  It appears to date from the 16th or 17th century.%Another textual fragment of Nizami's "Iskandarnamah" is also held in the collections of the Library of Congress (see 1-84-154.1b R & V).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			16.9 (w) x 26.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.156 V		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000206	resourceid|ascs-177,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.177	cll|Kamal al-Din (Ikhtiyar al-Munshi)	Prayer (du'a) for a king		ca. 1500-1550		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 22.1 (h) cm%Script: tarassul%This calligraphic fragment includes a prayer in Arabic for a King (and his many honorific epithets).  The top panel reproduces exactly the lower panel, suggesting that a pounce or stencil was used for these two calligraphic replicas.  Both panels are individually cut out, provided with a separating horizontal line and an illuminated border, and are pasted to a green sheet of paper decorated with flecks of gold and backed by cardboard.%Both panels also are executed in a version of the "hanging"  ta'liq script called tarassul, in which letters such as the alif  (a) and the lam (l) are connected by large looping ligatures.  The letters themselves are not filled in with ink: rather, they are outlined in gold on the beige paper.  For this reason, the calligrapher Kamal al-Din has noted in the lower right corner of the upper calligraphic panel that he has outlined (hararahu), rather than written (e.g., katabahu, raqamahu) the composition.  Kamal al-Din's nickname (laqab), Ikhtiyar al-Munshi ("the Elderly Secretary"), also appears in gold outlined script in the lower right corners of both calligraphic panels, in which he states that he also wrote (mashaqahu) the composition.  Therefore, Kamal al-Din was responsible both for the writing and the outlining of the composition.%Kamal al-Din Husayn (d. 974/1566-7) was a calligrapher during the reign of the Safavid ruler, Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-76).  The monarch supported his work in Tabriz and offered him a number of rewards, which Kamal al-Din refused.  He also made him his personal secretary and bestowed upon him the honorific epithet "the Elderly, Royal Secretary" (Ikhtiyar al-Munshi al-Sultani).  Even though he was blind in one eye, he was a master of all calligraphic scripts, especially nasta'liq (Huart 1972, 232).  Judging from this specimen -- as well as others in the Library of Congress (1-04-713.19.36) and the Sackler Gallery of Art (29.63 and 29.64) -- he also was a master of outlined tarassul.%He was a contemporary of Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri, one of whose works is held in the collections of the Library of Congresss (1-87-154.155).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Tarassul%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			21.5 (w) x 33.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.157		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000207	resourceid|ascs-178,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.178	cll|Mir 'Ali and Sultan Bayazid	Verses by Hilali		ca. 1500-1550		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.3 (w) x 22.1 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes three distinct text panels all executed in nasta'liq script: one written in black ink on blue paper, another in white ink on beige paper with two illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces) in the upper and lower corners, and a third (lowermost horizontal) written in black ink on beige paper.  All three panels were cut out and placed together, provided with a gold frame, and pasted to a larger sheet of paper decorated with flecks of gold.%The blue text panel includes verses composed by the mystical poet Hilali (d. 936/1529-30), whose name appears in the upper left triangular corner.  The other two text panels contain prayers for a king, wishing him glory and health, composed in the poetic format known as tarji-band (in between each stanza with a different rhyme appears a single hemistich with its own rhyme).%The panel executed in white ink on the top left is signed in the lower left corner by the calligrapher Mir 'Ali.  This famous Persian calligrapher, whose full name was Mir 'Ali Heravi (d. 951/1544-5), was active in the city of Herat (modern-day Afghanistan) during the 16th century until he was taken to Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan) in 935/1528-9 by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydallah Khan Uzbek (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 126-131).  He not only was a master calligrapher, but was a poet in his own right, having composed a number of sample verses (qit'as) in honor of his patrons.%The text executed in black on blue paper is signed by another calligrapher, Sultan Bayazid (d. 986/1578).  He was a respected pupil of Mir 'Ali.  The master considered him his spiritual son and even calligraphed certain pieces for him, signing his name and making a note that the piece was for his "illustrious son, Sultan Bayazid" (Huart 1972, 233).%It appears that this calligraphic piece attempts to highlight the close master-pupil relationship by pasting together their works onto a single album page.%Other calligraphic fragments written by, or attributed to, Mir Ali are held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  See, for example, 1-04-713.19.38, 1-87-154.159, 1-88-154.65, and 1-90-154.180.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			21.5 (w) x 33.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	-87-154.158		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000208	resourceid|ascs-179,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.179	cll|Mir 'Ali al-Katib	Three bayts (verses) to a loved one		ca. 1500-1550		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.2 (w) 18.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes three bayts (verses) of poetry in the main text panel and ten verses of poetry around this panel, creating a "textual" frame decorated with gold vine and leaf motifs.  The entirety of the calligraphic piece is pasted to a paper decorated with blue geometric and vegetal motifs highlighted in gold.%The central text panel is topped by an illuminated rectangular panel and includes a decorative triangle in the upper left corner.  The verses in the central panel are written in nasta'liq script on a white ground decorated with gold painted flowers.  The verses read:%Bi-ka'ba rah cha nama'i ka ka'ba-yi khana-yi tu-st / Harim-i ka'ba-yi man khak-i astana-yi tu-st / Fusun-i chasm-i tu bigirift mulk-i dilha-ra / Miyan-i mardum-i alam kanun fisana-yi tu-st / Khayal-i la'l-i tu az dil burun chaguna baram / Ka bar khizana-yi dil daghha nishana za tu-st%Why set out to the Ka'ba when the Ka'ba is your home? / The Sacred Enclosure of my Ka'ba is the threshold to your soil. / The bewitchment of your eye captures the territory of hearts, / Now all the people of the world tell your story. / How can I bring out from (my) heart the imagination of your garnet (lips)? / Because in the treasury of the heart there are many marks of you.%By drawing on the imagery of Mecca, the Ka'ba, and its Sacred Enclosure (harim), the poet describes his affection of his beloved's eyes and lips as a pilgrimage into his heart.%The verses are signed by the writer (al-katib) Mir 'Ali [Heravi] (d. 951/1544-5).  A master calligrapher in the nasta'liq style, Mir 'Ali was active in the city of Herat (modern-day Afghanistan) during the 16th century until he was taken to Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan) in 935/1528-9 by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydallah Khan Uzbek (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 126-131).%Other calligraphic fragments written by, or attributed to, Mir 'Ali are held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  See, for example, 1-04-713.19.38, 1-87-154.158, 1-88-154.65, and 1-90-154.180.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			21.9 (w) x 32.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.159		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000209	resourceid|ascs-180,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.180	cll|'Imad al-Hasani	Quatrain of Kamal al-Din Isma'il		early 17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.8 (w) x 19.4 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, written by the famous mystical ('irfani) poet Shaykh Kamal al-Din Isma'il al-Isfahani (d. 634/1237).  The author's name appears in the upper right illuminated corner (or thumbpiece) of the text panel.  The four lines of verses are written in black nasta'liq in diagonal, framed by cloud bands, and placed on a  gold background.  The verses read:%An zulf nagar bar rukh-i an shuhra sanam / Avikhta bi jang u khusumat dar ham / Va an abru bin basan-i gushti giran / Sar suya sar avarda u qadha zada kham%Look at that strand of hair and the face of that famous idol / It (the hair) is knotted up without a battle or adversary / Look at those eyebrows, which like wrestlers / Go head to head and arch their backs.%These verses describe the loved one's hair and eyes.  The woman's hair is perfectly disheveled and her curved eyebrows meet in the center of her forehead, in the shape of wrestlers hunched over and ready for combat.%The calligrapher has signed his work diagonally below the last verse, with the expression "katabahu al-'abd al-mudhnib 'Imad al-Hasani" (written by the humble servant, 'Imad al-Hasani).  In the triangular panel below his signature and above the third line of poetry, 'Imad al-Hasani asks for God's mercy and forgiveness for his sins.  Mir 'Imad (d. 1615) was born in 1552, spent time in Herat and Qazvin, and finally settled in Isfahan (then capital of Safavid Persia), where, as a result of his implication in court intrigues, he was murdered in 1615.  He was a master of nasta'liq script, whose works were admired and copied by his contemporaries, and later collected by the Mughals (Welch et al 1987: 32-36).%Many works in international collections are signed by him (inter alia, Safwat 1996, cat. nos. 53 and 62; and Lowry and Beach 1988: no. 456), although whether all these pieces are by his hand remains uncertain.  Other calligraphies bearing his name in the collections of the Library of Congress include: 1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-85-154.77, 1-90-154.162, and 1-99-106.13 R.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			20.6 (w) x 32 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.160		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000210	resourceid|ascs-181,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.181	cll|Shah Muhammad al-Mashhadi	Verses on tragic love		968/1560-1		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.4 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes three bayts (verses) of poetry that use the tragic love story of Laylah and Majnun to describe the magic and pain of love.  With an initial invocation to God in the upper right corner ("He is the Glorified," or huwa al-mu'izz), the verses then read:%Qudsiyan kin pardaha-yi sabz-i gardun basta-and / Mahd-i 'aysh-i 'ashiqan zin parda birun basta-and / in fusun khwanan ka dar tanha bi-afsun jan damand / Pish-i an la'l fusun khwan lab za afsun basta-and / Nu 'arus-i husn-i Layla-ra bi-khalvatgah-i naz / Gushvar az danha-yi 'ashq-i Majnun basta-and%The holy angels that fastened these veils of the green firmament / That placed the cradle of the lovers' joy outside of this curtain / Those magicians that blow life into bodies by sorcery / They shut the mouths of magic in the presence of the garnet (lip) of the enchanter / New bride of Laylah's beauty in the empty place of coquetry / They placed (on her) the necklace from the tears of Majnun%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script in diagonal and horizontal lines on a beige paper decorated with bird and flower motifs painted in gold.  The right and left vertical sides of the text panel are framed by a green border bearing gold flecks.  The calligraphic specimen is pasted onto a larger sheet of light yellow paper decorated by interlacing pink arabesques and animals.%Between the diagonal and lower horizontal lines on the text panel appears a triangle (or thumb piece) inscribed by the calligrapher Shah Muhammad al-Mashhadi, who notes that he wrote (mashaqahu) the verses and requests forgiveness from God for his sins.  Between the first and the second bayt of poetry written in diagonal, Shah Muhammad al-Mashhadi also specifies that he wrote the work during the months (fi shuhur) of the year 968/1560-1.  Shah Muhammad al-Mashhadi was a calligrapher originally from the holy city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran who migrated to India.  As a calligrapher in the nasta'liq script, his work recalls the style of his more famous contemporary, Mir 'Imad al-Hasani (see 1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-85-154.77, 1-87-154.160, 1-90-154.162)	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			19.3 (w) x 30.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.161		intldl/ascs			15600000	text	tx	
ascs000211	resourceid|ascs-182,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.182	cll|Jamal-i Nuri	Two textual excerpts		Late 19th  century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 20.6 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes two separate and unrelated texts written diagonally in black Indian nasta'liq script on beige paper.  The lines of the texts are separated visually by strokes in red ink.%The first text at the top provides a section from the Indian historical work entitled the "History of Bikramajit" (Ta'rikh-i Bikramajit).  It appears that this text belongs to a series of works dealing with local histories, in this case the Indian state of Sangri and its ruler Bikramajit (r. 1800-3 and 1815-6).  The calligrapher, a certain Jamal-i Nuri, has signed and dated his work in the last two diagonal lines.  He states that he executed the text on the 20th of Rajab during the third regnal year in the capital city (dar al-sultanah) of Lahore.  Whose regnal year is not specified, but one may hypothesize that the calligrapher may have written the work during the third year of Bikramajit's rule, that is, in 1803.%The second text in the lower part of the fragment includes a section of Sa'di's (d. 691/1292) "Bustan" (The Fruit Orchard), which discusses events during the time of the Prophet Muhammad.  This section relates the story of a certain Hakim Ta'i, a generous man who belonged to a tribe that did not accept Islam, and his daughter's pleading for the Prophet's mercy upon the killing of her tribesmen (see H. W. Clarke (trans.), "The Bustan of Sa'di" [Tehran: Imperial Organization for Social Services, 1976]: 154-155).%This fragment is written in a fluid nasta'liq typical of texts written in India during the late 18th century.  The nature of the historical text in the upper portion of the fragment and its date also support placing this fragment within a corpus of works produced ca. 18th century India.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			21.3 (w) x 31.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.31		intldl/ascs			18500000	text	tx	
ascs000212	resourceid|ascs-082,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.082	cll|Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi	Ghazals of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi		ca. 1500		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.5 (w) x 18.6 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a number of lyric poems (ghazals) composed by the Persian poet Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (d. 725/1325), whose pen-name or signature (takhallus) "Khusraw" appears at the top of the central column of diagonal verses.%The ghazals are executed in black nasta'liq script in three columns.  Written in diagonal, the verses appear on a beige paper and are framed by cloud bands on a background painted in gold.  Several triangular panels fill in the spaces remaining at the intersection of the diagonal verses and the rectangular frame: these panels include inscriptions that specify that the remaining part of the poem (baqiyat [al-ghazal]) continues beyond the formal (spatial) separation.  In other cases, such as at the top of the central column of text, a different ghazal is introduced by an inscription in red ink.  The inscription reads: "also from him" (wa lahu aydan) and asks for God's forgiveness of Amir Khusraw's sins.%In the bottom left corner of the rightmost column appears the artist's signature, which reads: mashaqahu al-'abd (written by the servant) Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi.%Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi (d. 920/1514) was active at the court of the last Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Bayqara (r. 1470-1506) in Herat, where he was a contemporary of the famous painter Bihzad (d. 941/1535) and the prolific poet Jami (d. 897/1492).  He was responsible for copying a number of royal manuscripts and composing inscriptions to be placed on royal buildings (Huart 1972: 221-222).  A master of nasta'liq script, he also composed a treatise (risalah) on the rules of writing, the moral qualities of calligraphers, how to make ink and paper, and how to use the reed pen (qalam) and other writing implements (see Qadi Ahmad 1959: 106-125).%This text calligraphed by Sultan 'Ali Mashhadi is framed by a wide border painted in gold and is pasted to a sheet of paper decorated by white, blue, and red marbling (abri or ebru).  Although the original text was executed ca. 1500 in Herat, it was pasted to the marble paper at later date.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			15.6 (w) x 22.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.33		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000213	resourceid|ascs-190,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.190	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.3 (w) x 7.7 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 13-18 of the 81st chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Takwir (The Folding Up).  The text continues with verses 18-21 on the fragment's verso (1-87-154.82b V).  This surah provides a series of graphic images on the Day of Judgment, when the world shatters and souls are weighed:%And when the Garden is brought near, / Then each soul will know what it has done. (81:13-14).%The script's style is close to the Kufi D.I. category of the 9th century (Droche 1992: 70, cat. no. 22).  Executed in six lines, the text is written in black ink, outlined with gold cloud bands, and provided with a multicolored frame.  Although there are no diacritical marks, vocalization is indicated by red dots.  The verse marker on the last line of the recto consists of a gold rosette with the term khamsah (five) inscribed in its center.  In the lower right corner, a hole has eaten through a letter.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi			15.6 (w) x 10.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-87-154.82b		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000214	resourceid|ascs-195,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.195	cll|unknown	Commentary to the "Kitab Sibaywahi" with illuminated panels		14th15th centuries		Dimensions of Illumination Panels: 5.8 (w) x 11.1 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: 4 (w) x 10.4 (h) cm%Script: Persian naskh%This double-page illuminated blue and gold panel was intended to contain the title to a work whose text appears on the fragment's verso (1-88-154.10 V).  Although the title is not contained in either of the two gold central medallions, the text on the verso makes it clear that the work was a commentary (sharh) on a treatise of Arabic grammar composed by the famous early Kufan grammarian Sibaywahi (d. 188/793).%The illuminated panel includes four rectangular registers above and below the gold medallions, in which the bismillah ("In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful") is inscribed in gold Kufi script on a blue background decorated with gold arabesques.  All around the illuminated panels appear marginal finials painted in blue.  The two illuminated panels are separated by a crease in the beige rag paper where the folio originally would have been folded in two.  In the upper horizontal appear two water stains equal in size and shape (due to the original fold).  In the lower horizontal, a note or owner's mark seems to have been erased, and the word unvan (title[?]) added in black ink to identify the illuminated panels' function.%Although the fragment is neither dated nor signed, the illuminated panel and the Persian naskh on its verso suggest that the work may have been executed in Persia (Iran) sometime during the 14th or 15th century.%The verso of this calligraphic fragment provides a commentary (sharh) on a treatise of Arabic grammar composed by the famous early Kufan grammarian Sibaywahi (d. 188/793).  The text is executed in black ink in Persian naskh script in two columns of fifteen lines per page. Marginal glosses, commentary, and corrections appear in the left column, cross-referenced to the main text by red underlining.%This particular sharh to the "Kitab Sibaywahi" provides a mid-level pedagogical textbook rather than one of the various standard commentaries to the work.  It combines together several unrelated themes scattered in the "Kitab Sibaywahi".  For example, it includes a discussion of grammatical rules applied to numerals above 10 and analyzes dependent clauses (mansub).%For further information on the "Kitab Sibaywahi", see Michael G. Carter, "Sibaywahi" (London and New York: Oxford Center for Islamic Studies and I.B. Tauris, 2004).	Local|Persian naskh%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			21.1 (w) x 20.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.10		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000215	resourceid|ascs-196,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.196	cll|unknown	The Div Akvan throws Rustam into the sea		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of painting: 19 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.9 (w) x 24.8 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This painting represents an episode described in Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" (The Book of Kings), the epic story of ancient kings and heroes of Persia composed by the renowned author during the first decades of the 11th century.  The text on the fragments recto and verso describes the painting.  King Khusraw summons Rustam to help him stop a demon (div) disguised as a wild ass that is ravaging of the royal herds.  After three days of unsuccessful battle, the hero falls asleep in the grass.  Thereupon, the Div Akvan casts aside his disguise, resumes his demonic form, rushes towards Rustam, and digs up the ground around the hero.  He gives Rustam the choice of being thrown against the mountains, to be eaten by lions and onagers, or cast into the sea, where he would drown to his death.  Knowing that the enemy would do the exact opposite and realizing that, if cast to the sea, he would have a chance to swim to survival, he asked to be thrown against the mountains.  Rustam is cast to the sea, swims back to the shore, and returns to defeat the demon in combat.%The painting shows the precise moment when the Div Akvan pauses before deciding to hurl Rustam into the waters.  The demon stands tall, his arms clutching to the ground on which a still sleeping Rustam lays, as his gold bell bangles clang loudly.  A posteriori labels added to the right of Rustam's head and at the demon's waist identify the actors Rustam and Div Akvan.  On the right side of the composition, rocky mountains and two threatening tigers are depicted, while, at the bottom of the painting, the sea appears inhabited by a variety of fish.  Immediately above the painting, the chapter heading executed in gold ink identifies the scene and its corresponding text.%The painting's style and composition are typical of illustrated manuscripts of Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" produced during the Safavid period in Iran.  The rocky outcrop, loosely painted in light blue, pink, and yellow washes, sometimes creates formations that hint at facial features.  The layout of the text and the script (nasta'liq) as visible on the painting's verso (see 1-88-154.118 V) also characterize 16th-century Persian manuscripts.%Unfortunately, the lower right corner of the painting has suffered damage and thus a small portion of the painting is lost to us today.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			20.6 (w) x 26.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.118		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000216	resourceid|ascs-197,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.197	cll|unknown	Jami's "Nafahat al-Uns" (Lives of the Saints)		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 7.2 (w) x 13.1 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes a section from Jami's (d. 897/1492) hagiographical work entitled "Nafahat al-Uns" (Lives of the Saints), in which the lives of a number of Sufi saints are described.  In this particular folio and its verso (1-88-154.119 V), Jami describes an event in the life of the  Sufi shaykh Sari Saqati (d. 867).  He was the teacher and maternal uncle of the famous mystic Junayd of Baghdad (d. 910) and composed many sayings on mystical unity (tawhid), love of God, and other spiritual matters.  The biography is continued on the verso of this folio.%The Persian verses are written in black nasta'liq script in two columns on a beige paper.  Verses are divided by a plain central gutter marked off by two gold vertical lines.  An illuminated chapter heading towards the bottom of the text panel includes the section title about Sari Saqati written in white ink on a gold background.%The text panel is framed and pasted onto a larger sheet of paper decorated with flower and leaf motifs on a blue ground achieved through the use of a pounce.  This kind of marginal decoration is found in a number of 16th-century manuscripts produced under Shaybanid patronage in Bukhara (in modern-day Uzbekistan) from ca. 1500-1550 (Gray 1979: 248-272).  Other manuscripts, such as a copy of Bitikji's  "Athar-i Muzaffar" made in 975/1568 (Topkapi Palace Library H. 1233), also makes use of pounced motifs as marginal decoration.  For these reasons, it is possible to suggest that this manuscript was produced in Central Asia during the 16th century.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			17.4 (w) x 26.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.119		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000217	resourceid|ascs-201,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.201	cll|Hajji Yadigar al-Katib	Verses by Jami		ca. 1600-1650		Dimensions of Written Surface: 10.1 (w) x 18.9 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes verses composed by the famous Persian poet Jami (d. 898/1492).  In the top right corner, the text begins with the attribution of the verses to the master (makhdumi) poet and a request for (God's) forgiveness (al-maghfarah) and mercy (al-rahmah) upon Jami.  The verses then describe how often true beauty is overlooked:%Basa ziba rukh-i niku shamayil / Ka suyash tab'-i mardum nist mayil / Basa luli vash-i shirin karashma / Ka rizad khun za dilha chasma chasma%How often there is a beautiful face with graceful ways / Who is not sought after by people / But how often a harlot with sweet winks / Causes the blood of hearts to pour out in gushes%In the lower right corner, the "lowly" (al-mudhnib) calligrapher Hajji Yadigar al-Katib has signed his work.  As his name suggests, he must have completed the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) and been a professional scribe (katib).  He may be synonymous with a certain Yadigar  Khwajah Samarqandi, who arrived in India and offered the Mughal ruler Jahangir (r. 1606-27) an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies, for which he received a robe of honor (Huart 1972, 169).%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper.  Framed by cloud bands, the text appears on a background lavishly decorated with gold painted vegetal designs highlighted in light blue and red dots.  These motifs appear to support a 17th-century Central Asian or Mughal provenance.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Poetry%Local|Arabic calligraphy			13 (w) x 21.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.149		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000218	resourceid|ascs-202,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.202	cll|Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib	Quatrain eulogizing a king		early 17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.5 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, in honor of a king.  Written diagonally in black nasta'liq script and framed by cloud bands on a rather crudely painted purple background, the verses read:%Padishahha subuh-i dawlat-i tu / Mutassil ba sabah-i mahshar bad / Bakht-i nikat bi-muntahah-yi umid / Barasanad u chasm-i bad marasad%Oh King, may the mornings of your fortune / Last until the morning of [the Day of] Gathering / May good luck take you to the utmost limit of hope / And may the evil eye not reach you%The poet wishes a king good fortune until the end of time (literally, until the Day of Gathering [mahshar] on the Last Judgment) and eternal protection against envy  (that is, the evil eye, or chasm-i bad).%In the lower left corner, the calligrapher Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib states that he has copied the text (namaqahu) and asks God to forgive his shortcomings.  Rukn al-Din was nicknamed al-Tabib ("the doctor") as he came from a long line of royal physicians and he himself held high position at the court (divan) of Shah 'Abbas I (r. 15871629) in Isfahan (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 169-170).  However, since the ruler did not get well after a bout of illness, he requested that Rukn al-Din reimburse his salary and forced him to leave the capital city.  The calligrapher headed to Mashhad (northeastern Iran), from where he then journeyed to Balkh (modern-day Afghanistan) and eventually arrived in India (Huart 1972, 221).  He is known as a master of the nasta'liq style, and he may have executed this eulogistic quatrain for Shah 'Abbas I when they were on better terms.%One other calligraphic sample by Rukn al-Din Mas'ud al-Tabib is held in the collections of the Library of Congress: see 1-84-154.48.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Nasta'liq			27.5 (w) x 38.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.153		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000219	resourceid|ascs-203,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.203	cll|Ahmad al-Husayni	Invocation of 'Ali		16th century (?)		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21 (w) x 32 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an invocation (du'a) to 'Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, in the central text panel.  Written in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper decorated with arabesque motifs painted in gold, the Shi'i du'a reads:%Nad-i 'Aliyan mazhar al-'aja'ib / Tajiduhu 'awnayn laka fi al-nawa'ib / Kull hammun wa ghammun sayanjali / Bi-walayatika, ya 'Ali, ya 'Ali, ya 'Ali%Call upon 'Ali who causes marvels to appear / You will find him to help (you) in adversity / All anguish and sorrow will vanish / Through your guardianship, oh 'Ali, oh 'Ali, oh 'Ali%In the lower right corner of this main text panel appears the calligrapher's signature: "written by (katabahu) the poor (al-mudhnib) Ahmad al-Husayni."  The triangular area which contains the signature is rather suspicious: the paper does not match the main text panel and this section appears to have been cut out and pasted onto the fragment.  It is possible that the otherwise unknown calligrapher Ahmad al-Husayni may have removed the original calligrapher's signature and replaced it with his own.%The main text panel is framed by a pink border decorated with gold vine motifs and a large blue frame decorated with gold leafs and panels of Persian verses.  Each rectangular panel of text has been individually cut out and pasted into the appropriate panels in the blue border.  The whole composition is contained on a larger sheet of pink paper painted with gold flowers and backed with cardboard.%Although the original, main text panel executed in large nasta'liq script may have been executed during the Safavid period (16th century), the surrounding border and the calligrapher's signature may have been added later (18th-19th centuries).  Such procedures of alteration show how some calligraphies experienced a "second life" when combined into albums or passed down through the hands of another calligrapher.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			27.5 (w) x 39 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.154		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000220	resourceid|ascs-204,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.204	cll|Mir 'Ali	Prayers for safety and success		ca. 1500-1550		Dimensions of Written Surface: 6.1 (w) x 15.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes verses in Persian praying for the patron's personal well-being and the prosperity of his kingdom.  The verses read:%Jahanat bi-kam u falak yar bad / Jahan afarinat nigahdar bad / Bi-kam-i tu bada hama-yi kar-i tu / Khudavand-i giti nigahdar-i tu / Dil u kishvarat jam' u ma'mur bad / Za mulkat paragandagi dur bad%May the world be (your) fortune and the firmament (your) friend / May the World-Creator (God) protect (you) / May all your works be successful / May God of the World look after you / May your heart and your kingdom be collected and well-frequented / May division stay far away from your realm%The verses, both diagonal and horizontal, are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper.  They are framed by cloud bands and placed on a gold background decorated with vine motifs and blue flowers.  Salmon and blue borders decorated with gold-painted flowers and leaves frame the text panel, which is pasted to a larger blue sheet of paper decorated with gold bouquets.  The entire fragment is backed by cardboard for strengthening purposes.%While the upper right triangle of the text panel includes an ornamental blue finial, the lower left triangular panel includes the signature of the calligrapher Mir 'Ali, who designates himself as the "poor" (al-faqir).  Mir 'Ali Heravi (d. 951/1544-5) was a calligrapher in nasta'liq script active in the city of Herat (modern-day Afghanistan) during the 16th century until he was taken to Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan) in 935/1528-9 by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydallah Khan Uzbek (Qadi  Ahmad 1959: 126-131).%Other calligraphic fragments written by, or attributed to, Mir 'Ali are held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  See, for example, 1-04-713.19.38, 1-87-154.158, 1-87-154.159, 1-88-154.65, and 1-90-154.180.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			26.5 (w) x 29.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.164		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000221	resourceid|ascs-206,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.206	cll|unknown	Section of Mirkhwand's "Rawzat al-Safa'"		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.1 (w) x 22.7 (h) cm%Script: Indian ta'liq%This fragment includes a section of the "Rawzat al-Safa'" (The Garden of Purity), a Persian historical encyclopedia composed by the prolific Timurid author Mirkhwand (d. 903/1498).  This particular excerpt begins with an invocation to God as the Glorified (huwa al-'aziz) and then relates a particular episode in the life of the seventh Shi'i imam Musa b. Ja'far al-Kazim (d. 183/799).%The imam is described as going one day to a mountainous place where he sees a group of Christians looking for a monk (rahib) in a monastery (dayr) from which he had not exited for an entire year.  Although the remaining portion of the story is lost, the last word (wa, "and") and the number 12 in the lower left corner hint that the text may have continued on a subsequent page.%The text is executed in black ta'liq typical of the 18th and 19th centuries, while the theme of its text suggests an Indian Shi'i milieu.  Written diagonally on a cream-colored paper, the text panel is framed by a dark green border outlined in red and mounted to a cardboard for strengthening.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Indian ta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			18.4 (w) x 29.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.25		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000222	resourceid|ascs-207,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.207	cll|Khan Zaman	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 7 (w) x 13.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 12 (w) x 24.5 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th-century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written in a hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%The recto of this particular calligraphic fragment is attributed to Khan Zaman on the top horizontal, although the attribution note is quite damaged.  In the lower right margin appears a squiggle motif and some hasty inscriptions.  The main text, written in black ink on white paper, is addressed to the writer's dear brother or friend (baradar-i mahraban-i man).  The writer states that he is well, that he received the latter's letter, and that he hopes to see him soon.%The note at the top of the verso of this calligraphic fragment attributes the writing (khatt) to Khan Zaman.  The main text, written in black ink on a white paper, consists of the writers letter to his dear friend or brother (baradar-i mahraban-i man).  He states that he is happy to have received his letter and that he now writes back with great joy (ishtiyaq).  He also hopes for further continued contact.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Indian nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			19.1 (w) x 29.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.30		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000223	resourceid|ascs-208,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.208	cll|Mirza Quli Mayli	Muraqqa' of Poetical Excerpts		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.5 (w) x 19.2 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%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.%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).%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 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.%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:%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%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 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.%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.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy			19.8 (w) x 31.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.32		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000224	resourceid|ascs-210,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.210	cll|unknown	Ruba'is by Hafiz		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15 (w) x 25 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes three iambic pentameter quatrains, or ruba'is, arranged in corresponding vertical and horizontal panels.  The verses written diagonally  in the upper right corner describe humans' duplicity:%Yak sifat-i 'ajab amad in ammara-ra / Bu al-'ajab ifrit-i mardum khwara-ra / Adami khwarand aghlab marduman / Az salam 'alaykashan kam ju aman%(Bad deeds) have a very strange adjective / This bizarre Satan that eats people / Most people are cannibals / You are not safe when they greet you%Another quatrain by the Persian poet Hafiz (d. 791/1388-9) is inscribed in vertical panels, the last two verses of which appear on a background painted with gold leaves.  This quatrain describes respect owed to one's superiors:%Dil sara parda-yi muhabbat-i tu-st / Dida ayina dar-i tal'at-i tu-st / Man ka sar dar nayavaram bi-du kawm / Gardanam zir-i bar-i minnat-i tu-st%My heart is in your house of love / (My) eye is the mirror that reflects your brilliance / I, who do not prostrate to the two worlds, / My neck is under the weight of your favor%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script in independent registers on a background decorated with illuminated triangular and rectangular panels.  The entirety of the text panel is pasted to a larger sheet of beige paper decorated with light blue vegetal motifs.%The fragment is neither dated nor signed.  However, it appears to have been produced in 16th- or 17th-century Iran and placed later into an album (muraqqa') of calligraphies.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy			28 (w) x 40.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.35		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000225	resourceid|ascs-214,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.214	cll|Qaim Khan	Insha'		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 10 (w) x 19.7 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 12 (w) x 24.5 (h) cm%Script: Indian nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment belongs to a series of twenty-two literary compositions or letters (insha') written by the calligraphers named Mir Kalan, Khan Zaman (son of Khan Khanan), Qa'im Khan, Lutfallah Khan, and Mahabat Khan (1-84-154.49, 1-84-154.53-54, 1-87-154.146a-f, and 1-88-154.30).  Judging from the script (Indian nasta'liq), a seal impression bearing the date 1113/1701-2 (1-87-154.146a R), and a letter mentioning the city of Janpur in India, it appears that these writings were executed in India during the 18th century.  Furthermore, if one were to identify the calligrapher Mir Kalan as the renowned painter active during the mid-18th century in Lucknow, then this identification would add further support to identifying this calligraphic series in the Library of Congress' collection as a corpus of materials produced by several writers active in 18th-century India.%The calligraphies are typically written a in hasty nasta'liq on white paper, framed in blue, and pasted to a pink or salmon cardboard.  They stand out for being in rather poor condition, in many cases badly damaged by worm holes and/or water stains.  Some bear squiggle-like marks in the margins, while others include seal impressions that were cut out and pasted onto the cardboards.  In most cases, an attribution to a calligrapher is written at the top, preceded by the expression "written by" (raqamahu) or "the handwriting of" (khatt-i...).%An attribution note at the top of the recto of this fragment states that this calligraphic fragment was written by (raqamahu) by Qa'im Khan.  The main text, written in black ink, appears on both a white paper speckled in blue and a marble paper decorated with orange flowers and green leaves.  In the center of the lower horizontal margin appears a seal impression bearing the date 1116/1704-5.  At the beginning of the composition appears the phrase in praise of God "huwa al-qadir" (He is the [All-]Powerful), followed by the writer's letter.  Here, he states that he received his friend's letter and has wanted to write back.  He is distressed that he has not heard from his friend.  To make his message clear, the writer includes a bayt (verse) of Hafiz (d. ca. 792/1390) on separation and pain, as well as a Qur'anic ayah stating that if someone helps others, God shall help him in return.%An attribution note at the top of the verso of this fragment states that this calligraphic fragment was also written by (raqamahu) by Qa'im Khan.  The main text, written in black ink, appears on both a white paper speckled in blue and a marble paper decorated with orange flowers and green leaves.  At the beginning of the composition appears the word huwa (literally, "He," functioning as the laudatory incipit "In the Name of God"), followed by the writer's letter to a certain Navab Sahib.  stating that he is very thankful to the latter for his help, and that he is his servant and wishes to be at his side again.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Indian nasta'liq			18.9 (w) x 29.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.50		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000226	resourceid|ascs-215,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.215	cll|unknown	Good wishes for 'id (feast day)		ca. 1900		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.5 (w) x 24.5 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%This calligraphic fragment includes four lines in Persian wishing its owner good fortune and happiness on the occasion of 'id.  Initiated by a praise to God, the Glorified (huwa al-'aziz), the verses read:%Ay nashat-i 'id az nam-i shuma-st / Rahat-i giti za aram-i shuma-st / Qulqul-i mina-st ta dur-i sipihr / Bada-yi iqbal dar jam-i shuma-st%Oh, the joy of 'id is from your name / The comfort of the world is from your peacefulness / The bubbling of the sky reaches the celestial spheres / The wine of chance is in your glass%The verses are written in black thuluth script on a beige paper framed by cloud bands and placed on a background decorated by pasted pieces of white-and-blue marble (abri or ebru) paper.  The lower right and the upper left corners of the text panel have been lost and repaired with a two triangular pieces of beige paper.  Missing letters in these two corners have also been filled in.%Below the text panel appears another fragment of text cut out and pasted to the larger sheet of paper backed by cardboard.  The two lines read: "On behalf of (baraya khatir) Pari Beygum Sahib, may she live long!"  Although the name of the calligrapher and the date of the composition are not specified, Pari Beygum Sahib may be identified as the wife of Amanullah Khan, the last amir  (prince or king) of the Barakzay Dynasty (r. 1919-29), the ruling family of the independent kingdom of Afghanistan from 1839-1926.  She was a former lady-in-waiting (pari) to the ruler's mother before becoming his royal consort (beygum).  She died during childbirth in Kabul in 1912.  This calligraphic specimen may have been executed for her on the occasion of 'id in Kabul sometime around 1900.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Thuluth%Local|Arabic calligraphy			29.7 (w) x 39.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.57		intldl/ascs			19000000	text	tx	
ascs000227	resourceid|ascs-216,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.216	cll|Fayaz 'Ali Vasi'i	Arabic and Persian excerpts		18th-19th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14.2 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm%Script: tahriri%This calligraphic fragment includes a number of textual excerpts in Arabic and Persian.  The top three lines include an invocation to God and a saying in Arabic about the necessity to trust in Him.  The next few horizontal lines include a saying in Persian about God's will.  The diagonal lines of text in the lower half of the fragment quote the famous Persian poet Shaykh Sa'di Shirazi (d. 691/1292) beginning with the note "from the words of Sa'di Shirazi" (min kalam-i Sa'di Shirazi).  The text taken from Sa'di is translated from Persian to Arabic in this fragment and gives advice to be aware of what one says.%The text is written in black tahriri script.  Some orthographic marks and vowels are picked out in red ink, and all lines of text are separated visually by red strokes.  The ends of certain sections or phrases also are marked by pyramids consisting of three red dots.  The paper is thin and brown, and damaged at the bottom.%In the lower right corner, the calligrapher Fayaz 'Ali Vasi'i states that he wrote (raqamahu) this fragment, and in the lower left corner he has dedicated (baraya khatir-i) his piece to a certain Mamki Nahali.  He has written vertically in the top right margin that he wrote his piece on a Thursday (ruz-i panjshamba), although he does not specify the year.%As Nahali is a language spoken in Madhya Pradesh, the name of the patron suggests a north central Indian provenance for this calligraphy.  The script -- a fluid tahriri found in 18th and 19th-century calligraphies from India -- also suggests an Indian provence.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Tahriri%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			23.3 (w) x 31.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.58		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000228	resourceid|ascs-217,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.217	cll|Mir 'Ali	Quatrain by Rumi		1500-1550		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.3 (w) x 4.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic piece includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, composed by the Persian poet Rumi (d. 672/1273).  Written diagonally in black nasta'liq script on a white-and-blue marbled paper, the text is also decorated by four illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces) in the spaces left empty by the intersection of the diagonal lines and the rectangular frame.  The text panel is framed by two borders in pink and beige painted with interlacing gold vines, and is pasted onto a larger piece of paper decorated with blue flower motifs.  The verses read:%Saqi bi-ghamm-i tu 'aql u jan raft / May dah ka takalluf az mayan raft / Shud tab u tavanam andarin rah / Man ham baravam agar tavan raft%(Oh) wine-bringer, because of (my) grief for you, (my) mind and spirit left / Give (me) wine so that (my) pride may disappear. / My patience and ability are spent in this way, / I too would vanish, if only I could.%The poet describes the wine-bringer (saqi) as the object of his "intoxicated" love.  His abilities disappear "in this way" (i.e., in loving him/her), and he wishes that he -- much like his abilities conquered by the effects of inebriation -- also would fade away.%The text is signed by the "poor" (faqir) Mir 'Ali, much as it is in a similar fragment in the Sackler Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C. (Lowry and Beach 1988, 355, no. 437).  Mir 'Ali Heravi (d. 951/1544-5) was a calligrapher in nasta'liq script active in the city of Herat (modern-day Afghanistan) during the 16th century until he was taken to Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan) in 935/1528-9 by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydallah  Khan Uzbek (Qadi Ahmad 1959: 126-131).%Other calligraphic fragments written by, or attributed to, Mir 'Ali are held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  See, for example, 1-04-713.19.38, 1-87-154.158, 1-87-154.159, and 1-90-154.180.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Poetry%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			26.7 (w) x 17.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.65		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000229	resourceid|ascs-218,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.218	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		14th-15th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.6 (w) x 15 (h) cm%Script: naskh%The recto of this calligraphic fragment includes verses 1-4 of the second chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Baqarah  (The Cow).  The fragment's verso continues the text with verses 5-17 (see 1-88-154.7 V).  This surah is the longest in the Qur'an.  It begins with verses 1-29, which classify men into categories depending on how well they receive God's message.  With a preliminary encouragement to those who trust in God, the rest of the chapter warns of disbelief and false belief:%This is the Book, / In it is guidance without a doubt / For those who fear God, / Who believe in the Unseen, / (And) are steadfast in prayer. (2:2-3)%The chapter's first verse begins with the three mysterious letters alif, lam, and mim (a, l and m).  These three abbreviated letters (muqatta'at) containing esoteric meanings introduce a series of chapters (2-3, and 29-32) in the Qur'an.%The illuminated upper and lower panels contain a text, outlined in gold ink to let the plain folio show through, stating that this surah is al-Baqarah and contains 286 ayahs revealed in Medina.  These illuminated cartouches contain gold vine and flower motifs interlacing on a blue background.  In the left margin appear two gold and blue decorative roundels and one semi-roundel in the center.%The text itself is written in the cursive script called naskh, and each verse is separated by an ayah marker consisting of a gold six-petalled rosette with blue and red dots on its perimeter.  Both the script and the illumination are typical of Qur'ans produced in Mamluk Egypt during the 14th and 15th centuries.  Recitation markers signaling where not to stop recitation ("la" or "no stopping") are marked in red above the first two verse markers.%Another fragment in the Library of Congress containing the first chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening) appears to come from the same manuscript (see 1-84-154.22).  The fragment's illumination, script, and size all correspond to this fragment's style and dimensions.	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			25.6 (w) x 35.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-88-154.7		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000230	resourceid|ascs-220,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.220	cll|unknown	Excerpt from Sa'di's "Gulistan"		17th-18th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13 (w) x 20.3 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an excerpt from Shaykh Sa'di's (d. 691/1292) "Gulistan" (The Rose Garden), in which the author offers advice (nasihat) about each man's necessities.  For example, a minister (vazir) needs an army (lashgar) and eduction (tarbiyat), a farmer (ra'iyat) must observe [nature], kings need wise ministers, and brave men need weapons (silah) and horses (asp).%The text is executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper.  The words are framed by cloud bands and placed on a gold background decorated with the painting of a tree and various flowers.  The main text panel is framed by a border containing further verses in Persian on an illuminated background.  The entire composition is then provided with a number of monochromatic frames and is pasted to a larger sheet of dark blue paper decorated with gold flowers and backed by cardboard.%The calligraphic specimen is neither dated nor signed.  However, the decorative pattern and the style of the folio resemble folios inserted into albums produced during the 17th and 18th centuries in Mughal India.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			25.2 (w) x 35.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.163		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000231	resourceid|ascs-224,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.224	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 11.7 (w) x 20.8 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 11.9 (w) x 20.7 (h) cm%Script: naskh and thuluth%This Qur'anic fragment includes verses 1-8 of the 98th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Bayyinah (The Clear Proof).  The text continues on the fragment's verso with the subsequent chapter (99) entitled Surat al-Zalzalah (The Earthquake), as well as the first verse of the 100th chapter entitled al-'Adiyat (Those Who Run).  For these two surahs, see 1-89-154.173 V.%Surat al-Bayyinah comprises eight verses and heralds God's message as clear and evident as the appearance of the Prophet Muhammad himself:%Those who reject (Truth) among the people of the book and among polytheists / were not going to depart (from their ways) / until there should come to them clear evidence: / a messenger from God rehearsing scriptures, kept pure and holy. (98:1-2)%The chapter heading of Surat al-Zalzalah is written in white ink on a gold ground, and reads Zalzal instead of Zalzalah and specifies that it comprises nine verses revealed in Medina.  This surah describes the reversal of natural phenomena that will take place on the Day of Judgment, when men have to face their deeds:%Anyone who has done an atom's weight of good will see it, / And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil will see it. (99:7-8)%The chapter headings executed in thuluth script in white ink on a gold and blue ground decorated with flower vines, as well as the marginal ornaments, are typical of Qur'ans produced in Safavid Iran during the 16th century (James 1992: 164-169, cat. No. 41). The verse markers consist of gold disks decorated on their perimeters with blue dots. At every verse marker appears a recitation note in red ink indicating whether the reciter should continue or pause his recitation.%It appears that the manuscript underwent a program of renovation, as horizontal panels of calligraphy were cut out and pasted onto a single folio. The top few lines show portions of a now missing interstitial text. The main body of the text, executed in naskh script typical of Mamluk Qur'ans of the 15th century, may have been salvaged and provided with the later Safavid illuminated panels and frames. For these reasons, it appears that this Qur'anic fragment was completed in two separate phases.	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Naskh%Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			20.7 (w) x 32.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.173		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000232	resourceid|ascs-225,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.225	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		11th-12th centuries		This calligraphic fragment includes verses 12-16 of the 4th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nisa' (The Women).  The text continues with verses 16-19 on the fragment's verso (1-89-154.176a V).  This fragment belongs to the same Qur'an, another folio of which also is held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-89-154.176b R & V).%Surat al-Nisa' appeals to the solidarity of mankind and the rights of women and orphans.  It also discusses societal and legal matters such as marriage, property, and inheritance.  Verse 15 in particular sets the standard for the trial of women found guilty of adultery:%If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, / Take the evidence of four (reliable) witnesses / From among you and against them. / And if they testify, confine them to their houses / Until death claims them, / Or God ordain for them some (other) way. If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, / Punish them both. / If they repent and amend, / Leave them alone. / For God is Returning and Merciful. (4:15)%The text is executed in Kufi script (New Style I) with thick strokes of black ink, and vowels are marked by red dots.  Some diagonal lines representing diacritical marks were added at a later date.  The script is typical of Qur'ans executed during the 11th-12th centuries (Droche 1992: 172-3, cat. no. 90).%No verse markers appear on this fragment.  However, the verso of 1-89-154.176b includes an ayah marker constructed as a plain six-petalled flower decorated by a central red dot and marked on its perimeter by alternating red and gold circles.%Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 22 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 22.3 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm%Script: Kufi (New Style I)	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Kufi (New Style I)%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			17.3 (w) x 20 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.176a		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000234	resourceid|ascs-228,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.228	cll|Pir Muhammad b. Dust Muhammad	Quatrain on unity of lovers		unknown		Dimensions of Written Surface: 7.8 (w) x 15.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, on the primordiality of a lover's affection.  Beginning with an invocation to "God, the Glorious" (huwa al-'aziz), the verses read:%Khurram kasi ka bar sar-i bazar 'ashiqi / Jan dar ghammat badad u ghammat-ra bi-jan kharid / Imruz nist dar sar-i Salman hadis-i ishq / Kizad mara u 'ishq-i tura ba ham afarid%How good is that person in the bazaar of love / He died for your sadness and bought your sorrow with his heart / It is not today that the story of love in Salman's heart (began) / God created me and my love of you in tandem%The verses are executed in black nasta'liq script on a beige paper framed by a pasted border decorated with interlacing leaf and vine motifs.%In the bottom horizontal panel, the calligrapher Pir Muhammad b. Dust Muhammad states that he wrote (katabahu) the piece.  In the lower left corner of the text panel, he also specifies that he has copied the handwritting (naql min khatt) of the master teacher (ustadh al-kamil) Muhammad 'Ali Bukhari.  Pir Muhammad b. Dust Muhammad's statement suggests that he may have used a calligraphic specimen by (his?) teacher as a model for his own, either adapting it or copying it directly.  Unfortunately, as neither calligrapher appears recorded in historical sources, it is difficult to suggest a date of execution and a provenance for this piece.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Poetry%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts			10.2 (w) x 20.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.182		intldl/ascs			0000	text	tx	
ascs000235	resourceid|ascs-229,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.229	cll|'Ala' al-Din Tabrizi (attr.)	Arabic prayer		16th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.6 (w) x 4.7 (h) cm%Script: thuluth%This calligraphic panel includes a single line of Arabic text executed in black thuluth script.  A simple prayer towards God, it reads:%Yakad yumasikuhu 'irfan rahatihi rukn al-hatim / The grasping of God (al-hatim) brings the knowledge of His comfort.%The line of text is executed on beige paper and outlined in a cloud band on a gold background.  It also is provided with a number of colored frames and is pasted to a larger sheet of orange paper backed by cardboard.  The lower left corner of the line of text contains a square seal impression with the barely legible names: 'abduhu (his servant) Muhsin (or Muhyi) al-Musavi and the date 1154/1741-2.  Above the line of text and in the center of the green frame appears a minute a posteriori inscription, which reads: khatt-i marhum 'Ala' al-Din Tabrizi, shahir bi-Mawlana 'Alabeg ast ("the handwriting of the deceased 'Ala' al-Din Tabrizi, who is known as Mawlana 'Alabeg").%'Ala al-Din Tabrizi was a calligrapher active during the reign of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524-76), for whom he executed royal decrees (firmans).  He executed a number of inscriptions placed on buildings in the cities Tabriz, Karbalah, and Qazvin (Safwat 1996: 84-88 and cat. no. 43, and 134-5, cat. no. 65; Huart 1972, 103; and Qadi Ahmad 1959, 79).%Although the later inscription attributes the specimen to 'Ala' al-Din, it is unclear whether this Arabic prayer indeed was written by the great Safavid master calligrapher.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Thuluth%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			33 (w) x 23 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.183		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000236	resourceid|ascs-230,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.230	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		14th-15th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 13.5 (w) x 18.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 13.5 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm%Script: muhaqqaq%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 93-95 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-An'am (The Cattle).  The text continues with verses 95-97 on the fragment's verso (1-89-154.184 V).%Surat al-An'am dates from the late Meccan period and consists of 165 verses.  Verses 93-97 in particular stress man's capacity to comprehend God's majesty when faced with His creations:%It is God Who causes the seed grain and the date stone to split and sprout. / He causes the living to issue from the dead, / And He is the One to cause the dead to issue from the living (6:95).%The text is executed in large and clear muhaqqaq script in black ink on five lines per page typical of Ilkhanid (Iran) and Mamluk (Egypt and Syria) Qur'ans produced during the 14th and 15th centuries (James 1992a: 154-157, cat. no. 37 and James 1998, cat. nos. 35 and 39).  Verse markers consist of six-petalled flowers decorated by a square gold leaf and blue and red dots.  In the lower left margin appears a juz' (section) marker.  It consists of a disk decorated with gold ornamental motifs and inscribed in blue ink with the word rub' (fourth).	Local|Muhaqqaq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			20.1 (w) x 30.1 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.184		intldl/ascs			13000000	text	tx	
ascs000237	resourceid|ascs-231,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.231	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		ca. 1550-1600		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13 (w) x 22.2 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This calligraphic fragment includes the terminal verses (18-28) of the 72nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Jinn (the Spirits), as well as the heading and introductory bismillah of the next chapter entitled al-Muzzammil (The Enshrouded One).  The text of al-Muzzammil continues with verses 1-20 on the fragment's verso (1-89-154.185 V).%Surat al-Jinn dates from the late Meccan period and contains 28 verses.  The last verses proclaim unity in God and belief in His Omnipotence:%Say: "I know not whether the (punishment) which you are promised is near, / Or whether my God will appoint for it a distant term. / He Alone knows the unseen, / Nor does He make anyone acquainted with His mysteries." (72: 25-26)%Surat al-Muzzammil is one of the earliest surahs to have been revealed and comprises 20 ayahs (although the chapter heading on the fragment's recto states that it contains 19 verses).  It praises prayer and humility and warms men who reject faith:%Keep in remembrance the name of your God / And devote yourself to Him wholeheartedly. / He is the Lord of the East and the West. / There is no God but He. / Take him therefore for your Disposer of Affairs (73:8-9)%The text is executed in a clear naskh and outlined by gold cloud bands decorated with red and blue flowers.  Diacritics are executed in black ink, while some pronunciation and reading signs are picked out in red ink.  Verse markers consist of six-petalled gold rosettes decorated with blue dots and red lines.%The rectangular band at the bottom of the text frame is decorated in orange-red, blue, and gold panels, in which the title, provenance (Mecca), and number of ayahs (19) of Surat al-Muzzammil are written in thuluth with gold ink on a red ground.  The last word of the previous chapter (adadan, or singly), as well as the terminal verse marker, also are inserted in the middle of the panel and outlined on a pale ground.  Apparently, the scribe ran out of space to finish his text and saw himself forced to include the last word of the previous surah in the subsequent chapter heading.%The margins of the text are decorated with gold painted vine, leaf, and flower motifs.  In the upper left margin appears a flat gold and blue disk, ornamented by a central gold vegetal design, intended to mark the tenth verse (verse 20 of chapter 72).%The script, text layout, and illumination are all typical of Safavid Qur'ans produced during the second half of the 16th century in the southwestern Iranian city of Shiraz (see James 1992b: 150-157, cat. no. 39).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Naskh%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			21.1 (w) x 34.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.185		intldl/ascs			15500000	text	tx	
ascs000238	resourceid|ascs-232,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.232	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.1 (w) x 8.3 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 32-33 of the 35th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Fatir (The Originator of Creation).  The text continues with verses 33-35 on the folio's verso (1-89-154.186 V).  These particular verses are found on another fragment of a Qur'an also executed in Kufi script in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-84-154.20c).%Surat al-Fatir deals with the mysteries and forces of Creation (al-khalq), as well as the angelic forces that maintain Creation.  Paradise is promised for the believers, and Hell for the unbelievers.  Those who have persevered in the path of righteousness are promised Paradise.%Gardens of Eternity they will enter. / Therein they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, / And their garments there will be made of silk. (35:33)%The text on the recto is executed on the flesh side of the parchment. As a result, the ink has worn off considerably.  The verso text is executed on the hair side of the parchment. As a result, the ink has not worn off substantially The Kufi script is comparable to D. Va, a writing style found on horizontal Qur'ans produced during the 9th and 10th centuries.  It is executed in black ink at 6 lines per page.  Diacritics are marked by red dots and long "a" (alif) sounds by green dots.  A yellow stain appears on the top line of the recto, and several marks in dark black have been added at a later date. On the verso a verse marker appears on line 5.  It consists of a gold rosette whose interior is decorated with arabesques in light brown ink and whose perimeter is dotted by blue circles.  A hole appears in the folio's center.%Due to the script and the dimensions of the written surface, it appears that this folio was drawn from the same Qur'an as 1-94-154.174 R & V.	Local|Kufi%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts			18.1 (w) x 12 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.186		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000239	resourceid|ascs-233,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.233	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 14 (w) x 7.6 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 14 (w) x 8 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment contains verses 5-12 of the 45th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Jathiyah (the Kneeling Down).  The text continues on the fragment's verso with verses 12-18 (1-89-154.187 V). Surat al-Jathiyah warns those who disbelieve and mock faith that God will punish them on the Day of Judgment and bring them to their knees:%In front of them is Hell, / And nothing they may have earned / Will be useful to them any longer, / Nor will any protectors they took besides God. / For them awaits an enormous penalty. (45:10)%If anyone does a righteous deed, / It endures to the benefit of his own soul; / If he does evil, / It works against (his own soul). / In the end you will all be brought back to your Lord. (45:15)%The text is executed in a Kufi script similar to style E typical of the 9-10th centuries (Droche 1992: 116-117, cat. nos. 62-63).  This kind of script is quite small, is executed at about 15 lines per page, and assumes a simpler vertical stroke.  The tails of terminal mims ("m") now point downwards instead of resting on the horizontal text line, while other letters are elongated along the horizontal line.  The fluidity and simplicity of the script may reflect more common writing practices at this time, and this particular fragment may have belonged to a Qur'an commissioned for personal use.%The recto is on the hair side of a piece of parchment, the text is executed in black ink.  Red dots indicate both vocalization.  Although no verse markers appear on the recto, the verso (1-89-154.187 V) includes an ayah marker in the shape of a gold ha (h) or upturned virgule on the 11th line.  It separates verse 16 from verse 17.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses			16.7 (w) x 11.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-89-154.187		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000240	resourceid|ascs-236,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.236	cll|'Imad al-Hasani	Quatrain on true knowledge		early 17th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 8.5 (w) x 15.7 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment provides an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, written in black nasta'liq script.  The text is outlined in cloud bands filled with blue and placed on a gold background.  In the upper right corner, a gold decorative motif fills in the triangular space otherwise left empty by the intersection of the rectangular frame and the diagonal lines of text.  The verses read:%Dar khakh-i Baylaqan rasidam bi-'abidi / Guftam mara bi-tarbiyat az jahl pak kun / Gufta buru chu khak tahammul kun ay faqih / Ya har cha khanda hama dar zir-i khak kun%I arrived at a worshipper's in the area of Baylaqan. / I said: "With tutoring purify me from ignorance." / He said: "Oh, Thoughtful One, go, because, like the earth, you can withstand all, / Or bury everything that you have read under the soil."%These verses show how the poet sought out spiritual teaching or tutoring (tarbiyat) from a wise man, who responded that learned knowledge is discardable.  Baylaqan was a city in the province of Azarbaijan known for its purifying waters.%Below the quatrain, the calligrapher (Mir) 'Imad al-Hasani has signed his work with his name and a number of diminutives, as well as a request for God's forgiveness.  Mir 'Imad  (d. 1615) was born in 1552, spent time in Herat and Qazvin, and finally settled in Isfahan (then capital of Safavid Persia), where, as a result of his implication in court intrigues, he was murdered in 1615.  He was a master of nasta'liq script, whose works were admired and copied by his contemporaries, and later collected by the Mughals (Welch et al 1987: 32-36).%Many works in international collections are signed by him (inter alia, Safwat 1996, cat. nos. 53 and 62; and Lowry and Beach 1988: no. 456), although whether all these pieces are by his hand remains uncertain.  Other calligraphies bearing his name in the collections of the Library of Congress include: 1-84-154.3, 1-84-154.43, 1-85-154.72, 1-85-154.77, 1-87-154.160, and 1-99-106.13 R.	Local|Poetry%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy			8.5 (w) x 15.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-90-154.162		intldl/ascs			16000000	text	tx	
ascs000241	resourceid|ascs-238,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.238	cll|unknown	The battle of Mazandaran		ca. 1564-1579		Dimensions of Painting: 50.6 (w) x 68.5 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: 53.4 (w) x 70.5 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This large-scale painting depicts the Battle of Mazandaran, an event in the Persian romance of the mythical adventures and battles of Amir Hamzah, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, recorded in the famous "Hamzahnamah" (Book of Hamzah).  The "Hamzahnamah" was begun around 1564 under the sponsorship of the Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) and was completed in approximately fifteen years.  A number of the manuscript's original folios totaling 1,400 in number --  including this painting and its attending text (1-90-154.188 V) -- were brought together, exhibited, and published in 2002 (Seyller 2002: 262-3, fig. 41).%This painting is number 38 in the 7th volume of the "Hamzahnamah", as inscribed between the legs of the man in the bottom center.  It depicts a battle scene in which the protagonists Khwajah 'Umar and Hamzah (nicknamed Sahib Qiran, "Owner of the Epochs") and their armies engage in fierce battle.  Originally, the faces were depicted, subsequently erased by iconoclasts, and repainted in more recent times.  Only the face of the groom wearing an orange turban in the center of the left edge has been left untouched.  Immediately above this figure, a soldier in a studded gold tunic has a disjointed face, revealing how an old border was removed and faces retouched.%Approximately 50 painters worked on the project under the supervision of the famous artists Mir Sayyid 'Ali and 'Abd al-Samad, who both had worked ca. 1522-35 on the royal "Shahnamah" of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (see Dickson and Welch 1981).  Although a number of paintings are linked to specific artists, this one does not bear a particular attribution mark.%The large-scale text panel on the verso describes the Battle of Mazandaran.  The text is executed in black nasta'liq script on a large beige sheet of paper that bears substantial water damage.  The last three lines also exhibit the crowded writing that is seen frequently in the manuscript as the scribe(s) struggled to complete the narrative account on each text page.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			53.4 (w) x 70.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-90-154.188		intldl/ascs			15640000	text	tx	
ascs000242	resourceid|ascs-239,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.239	cll|unknown	Marriage decree ('Aqd-namah)		1219/1804-5		Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 30 (w) x 80 (h) cm%Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 20.1 (w) x 65.2 (h) cm%Script: ta'liq, various%This superb document consists of a legally-binding marriage contract ('aqd-namah) written in Persia (Iran) in 1219/1804-5.  Like other Persian marriage contracts of the 19th century, the document is quite imposing (at almost a meter in height) and its goldwork indicative of the couple's wealth.%At the top appears an illuminated gold heading (sarloh or sar lawh) containing a number of prayers to God written in red ink on a gold background.  On the right of the illuminated sarloh and in the right margin decorated by flower and leaf motifs painted in gold appears another invocation to God as the "Light of the Heavens and the Earth" (ayat al-nur, Qur'an 24:35).  Between the illuminated prayers and the main text panel appear a number of seal impressions of the various marriage witnesses and the identification of the document as a marriage (nikah) certificate.%In the main text panel, various prayers to God are offered before introducing the bride and the groom, their various genealogies, their places of residence (Isfahan), and the marriage settlement provided by the groom (mahiryah).  In this particular marriage contract, the groom offers his bride one hundred dinars, a bakery, and other shops he owns.  These "collateral" gifts seem related to the sales contract (mubaya'at-namah) dated 28 Muharram 1228/ 31 January, 1813 on the backside of this marriage contract (see 1-90-154.189 V).%This Persian document consists in a sales contract (mubaya'at-namah) written on 28 Muharram 1228/ 31 January, 1813.  In this contract, several individuals enter into an agreement about the renting of several shops in the grand bazaar of Isfahan. The location of the shops, their goods (e.g. a bakery), and rental fees are specified.  In the upper right corner, a witness has signed the contract and included his seal impression and the date of 2 Shawwal 1236/ July 3, 1821.  This appears somewhat strange, as the witness' signature postdates the contract by seven years.  One might speculate that the difference in dates may be due to a lengthy process of negotiation or an a posteriori addendum to the contract.%The contract is written in ta'liq script tending towards shikastah.  The text is unadorned, which is quite unlike the marriage contract .  It appears that both documents are related to one another and provide detailed evidence of the various business and personal activities of a well-to-do merchant active in Isfahan during the first decade of the 19th century.%Persian marriage contracts ('aqd-namahs) produced during the 18th and 19th centuries in Persia (Iran) belong to a class of Islamic legally-binding documents such as deeds of endowments (vaqf-namahs) and powers of attorney (vakalat-namahs).  A number of these survive in Iranian collections: for example, see Layla Diba, "Iranian Wedding Contracts of the 19th and 20th Centuries" (Tehran: Negarestan Museum, 1976).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Ta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy			38.5 (w) x 90.9 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-90-154.189		intldl/ascs			18040000	text	tx	
ascs000243	resourceid|ascs-240,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.240	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		13th-14th  centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.4 (w) x 34.6 (h) cm%Script: muhaqqaq%This calligraphic fragment contains verses 78-80 of the 12th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Yusuf (Joseph).  The text continues with verses 80-81 on the fragment's verso (1-90-154.190a V).  Earlier verses (75-78) from the same surah appear on another fragment from the same Qur'an also in the Library of Congress (1-90-154.190b R & V).%Surat Yusuf narrates in detail the story of the Prophet Joseph and uses it as a parable for divine love.  These particular verses (69-93) describe Joseph's conviction of his half-brothers and his request to bring Jacob and the whole family from Canaan to Egypt.%The text is written in muhaqqaq script and is fully vocalized.  The letters are executed in gold and outlined in black ink.  Only one verse marker appears on the first line: it is a gold disk decorated on its perimeter with blue and red designs.  Parts of the text and frame in the middle of the left margin are lost.%Qur'ans executed in gold muhaqqaq script outlined in black at five lines per page and provided with radial verse markers similar to this fragment were produced during the Ilkhanid period (1256-1353) in Iran.  For example, the Qur'an made for Sultan Oljeitu (r. 1304-16) bears similarities to the fragment in the Library of Congress (James 1988, 99).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Muhaqqaq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			26.1 (w) x 36.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-90-154.190a		intldl/ascs			12000000	text	tx	
ascs000244	resourceid|ascs-241,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.241	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		13th-14th  centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.3 (w) x 35.3 (h) cm%Script: muhaqqaq%This calligraphic fragment contains verses 75-76 of the 12th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Yusuf (Joseph).  The text continues with verses 76-78 on the fragment's verso (1-90-154.190b V) and verses 78-81 on another fragment from the same Qur'an also in the Library of Congress (1-90-154.190a R & V).%Surat Yusuf narrates in detail the story of the Prophet Joseph and uses it as a parable for divine love.  These particular verses (69-93) describe Joseph's conviction of his half-brothers and his request to bring Jacob and the whole family from Canaan to Egypt.%The text is written in muhaqqaq script and is fully vocalized.  The letters are executed in gold and outlined in black ink.  Only one slightly cropped verse marker appears at the center of the upper part of the folio: it is gold disk decorated with red and blue designs on its perimeter.  In the left margin appear diagonal inscriptions in Persian, which provide a posteriori commentary on the Qur'anic text.%Qur'ans executed in gold muhaqqaq script outlined in black at five lines per page and provided with radial verse markers similar to this fragment were produced during the Ilkhanid period (1256-1353) in Iran.  For example, the Qur'an made for Sultan Oljeitu (r. 1304-16) bears similarities to the fragment in the Library of Congress (James 1988, 99).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Muhaqqaq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			29.4 (w) x 36.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-90-154.190b		intldl/ascs			12000000	text	tx	
ascs000245	resourceid|ascs-242,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.242	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		19th-20th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 14 (w) x 29.2 (h) cm%Script: naskh%This calligraphic fragment includes the last verses (160-182) of the 37th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Saffat (Those Arranged in Ranks) and the chapter heading and first five verses of the 38th chapter entitled Surat Sad (The Letter S).  The text continues with verses 5-22 of Surat Yad on the fragment's verso (1-90-154.191 V).%Surat al-Saffat describes the battle between good and evil as represented through the events in the lives of various prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Aaron.  Surat Sad describes the story of kings like David and Solomon in order to prove that righteousness is more powerful than pure strength.  The name of the latter surah derives from the free-standing abbreviated gutteral letter "s" at the very beginning of the chapter.%The fully vocalized text is executed in a rather mediocre naskh script verging on riq'ah, a modern script usually reserved for quotidian writing during the 19th and 20th centuries.  There is no illumination around the simple black frame, although the rather roughly executed verse markers reveal traces of gold paint.  The chapter heading for Surat Sad is executed in red ink and states that the chapter contains 88 verses revealed in Mecca.  In the lower right corner of the verso of the fragment there appears a black double palmette motif, perhaps intended as a marginal decoration marking off a new section (juz').  Subsequent words of the text (so-called "catchwords") are written in diagonal in the lower right corner and are intended to help foliate the manuscript.	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Naskh			24 (w) x 41 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-90-154.191		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000246	resourceid|ascs-243,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.243	cll|unknown	Shi'i stamped amulet		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 16.5 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: Indian naskh%This stamped amulet was probably made for a Shi'i patron in 19th-century India.  Executed on a very thin white paper, the amulet comprises a number of magic squares, Qur'anic verses, and divine or holy names all intended to bring good luck or provide protection to its owner.%In the outer rectangular frame appears ayat al-kursi (the Throne Verse), verse 255 of the 2nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Baqarah (The Cow).  It is often found on talismanic objects.  The words to ayat al-kursi are inscribed within medallion-like panels and read:%In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. / God, there is no God but He, / The Living, the Self-subsisting, the Eternal. / No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep. / All things in heaven and earth are His. / Who could intercede in His presence without His permission? / He knows what appears in front of and behind His creatures. / Nor can they encompass any knowledge of Him except what He wills. / His throne extends over the heavens and the earth, / and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them, / for He is the Highest and Most Exalted. / God, the Most High, speaks the truth.%In the upper portion of the amulet appear two squares inscribed with magic numbers.  The dome and two flanking minarets of a mosque are represented in the top center rectangle, along with the combined letters ta-ha (t-h) and ya-sin (y-s).  These mysterious letters stand for two chapters, or surahs, of the Qur'an (20 and 36).  In the central horizontal panel appears the double-edged sword of 'Ali, the Prophet's son-in-law, and invocations to God ("Ya huwa," or "Oh He/God").  Two concentric circles with a central flower are inscribed in the lowest central square.  This circle contains God's name in its center (Allah) and several of His so-called Beautiful Names (al-asma' al-husnah).  In each of the four corners around the circle's perimeter appear the names of the angels Jibra'il (Gabriel), Mika'il (Michael), 'Azra'il (the Angel of Death), and Israfil (the Angel of the Trumpet).	Local|Indian naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			17.7 (w) x 23.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-92-154.195		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000247	resourceid|ascs-244,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.244	cll|Muhammad Valikhan Khattat	Moral lessons through bird stories		1260/1844		Dimensions of Written Surface: 18 (w) x 9 (h) cm%Script: shikastah-nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes verses providing two separate stories whose protagonists are birds.  The first narrative describes two falcons in the desert talking about whether to join the king. The smart one refuses because he notes that freedom is better than service, even to a royal patron.  The second story describes a hunter about to shoot a small bird.  The latter prays to God to save it, at which time the hunter begins to tremble and his arrow misses the bird.  Through God's intercession, the prey is saved from an untimely death.%These moralizing verses are written both vertically and horizontally in black shikastah-nasta'liq script on a white piece of paper.  The verses are divided by red lines.  The text panel is pasted to a green piece of paper backed by cardboard and framed by a border heavily damaged by worm holes.  In the lower right corner of the text panel, the calligrapher Muhammad Valikhan Khattat ("the calligrapher"), known as Chalaq ("the Speedy One"), has signed his work.  He also notes that it was completed in 1260/1844.  From this information, one may hypothesize that this certain Muhammad Valikhan Khattat was a swift writer active in Iran during the mid-19th century.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Shikastah-nasta'liq%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			24 (w) x 14.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-93-154.146b		intldl/ascs			18440000	text	tx	
ascs000248	resourceid|ascs-245,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.245	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		12th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 5 (w) x 8.8 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment contains, on the left side, verse 21 of the 24th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nur (The Light).  This verse is finished and continued with verse 22 on the fragment's verso (1-93-154.170 V).  Finally, verse 22 comes to a close on the right side of this fragment.  When folded, this bifolio's recto and verso provide the continuous text of verses 21 and 22 of Surat al-Nur.%Surat al-Nur advocates proper behavior and the right to privacy.  It also warns of sex offences, false slander, and the temptation of immorality:%O you who believe, / Do not follow Satan's footsteps: / If any will follow his footsteps, / He will only command what is shameful and wrong. (24:21)%The text is executed in Kufi (New Syle 1), a script most typically found in Qur'ans of the 12th century.  These kinds of Qur'ans were produced in the vertical format with five lines of text per page (Droche 1992: 170-171, no. 88).%The text is written in black ink with diacritical dots in black, some perhaps added at a later date.  The vocalization is marked by red dots.  Other orthoepics (marks of pronunciation), such as the duplication of a consonant (tashdid) and the silence marks (sukun), are written in green ink.  Verse markers consist of yellow "ha'" or virgules slightly above the main text line. On the right side of the verso of this folio appear three verse markers, although only the ayah marker at the end of the last line should be included.  The other two verse markers are superfluous.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Kufi			19 (w) x 13.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-93-154.170		intldl/ascs			11000000	text	tx	
ascs000249	resourceid|ascs-246,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.246	cll|unknown	Sa'di,"Two Lovers Lost at Sea"		16th-17th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 11.6 (w) x 18.1 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic fragment includes, in the main text panel, four verses from Sa'di's "Bustan" (The Fruit Orchard), in which he succinctly describes the tragic story of two lovers who fall into a whirlpool in the sea.  When a sailor attempts to save them, each lover asks him to save the other -- as he turns to each one, it becomes too late and both die:%Chunin khwandam ka dar dariya-yi a'zam / Bi-girdabi dar aftadand ba ham / Chumalah amadash ta dast girad / Mabada kandaran (ka dar an) sakhti bamirad...%I read that, in a very large sea, / They fell together into a whirlpool. / When the sailor arrived to give a hand / So that they not die in that difficult situation...%The text is executed in black nasta'liq script framed by cloud bands on a background covered in gold leaf and decorated by vine motifs in black ink.  In the upper and lower corners, the spaces between the diagonal lines of text and the rectangular frame are filled by illuminated triangles (or thumb pieces).  The main text panel is framed by several borders, including one that contains ten verses of poetry separated by red panels decorated by gold flower designs.  The decoration is of mediocre quality and may have been added after the text panel, itself possibly executed in Iran during the 16th or 17th century.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			14.3 (w) x 21 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-93-154.171		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000251	resourceid|ascs-250,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.250	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15 (w) x 9 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 43-44 of the 35th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Fatir (The Originator of Creation).  The text proceeds with verses 44-45 on the fragment's verso (1-94-154.174b V).  It also continues antecedent verses (37-40) as found on another folio from the same Qur'an in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-94-154.174a R & V).%Surat al-Fatir deals with the mysteries and forces of Creation (al-khalq), as well as the angelic forces that maintain Creation.  Paradise is promised for the believers, and Hell for the unbelievers since God shows His Mercy to all:%If God were to punish men according to what they deserve, / He would not leave on the back of the earth a single living creature. / But he gives them respite for a stated term. / When their term expires, verily God has in His sight all His servants. (35:45)%The recto of the text is executed on the flesh side of the parchment.  As a result, the ink has worn off considerably.  The verso of  the text is executed on the hair side of the parchment.  As a result, the ink has not worn off substantially.  It is executed in black ink at 6 lines per page.  Diacritics are marked by red dots, and no verse markers are visible.  The Kufi script is in syle D.Va, a writing style found on horizontal Qur'ans produced during the 9th and 10th centuries.  It is executed in black ink at 6 lines per page.  Diacritics are marked by red dots, and no verse markers are visible.  One green dot on the last line indicates the long "a" (alif) sound.  Due to the script and the dimensions of the written surface, it appears that this folio was drawn from the same Qur'an as 1-94-154.174a R & V.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			17.9 (w) x 11.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-94-154.174b		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000254	resourceid|ascs-057,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.057	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		ca. 1250-1350		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.2 (w) x 12 (h) cm%Script: Maghribi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 68-69 of the 5th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Ma'idah (The Table).  These verses continue the text (verses 67-68) on the fragment's recto (AL-18 R).  Two other fragments belonging to the same Qur'an manuscript and containing verses 60-63 and 142-144 from the 6th surah (Surat al-An'am, The Cattle)  also are held in the collections of the Library of Congress (AL-19 R & V).%Surat al-Ma'idah addresses the corruption of religion by the Jews and Christians, and heralds Islam as the last of the monotheistic traditions.  However, it promises good tidings for all those who abide by their religious doctrines:%Those who believe (in the Qur'an), / Those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), / And the Sabians and Christians: / Any who believe in God and the Last Day / And work righteous deeds, / They shall not fear nor grieve. (5:69)%A number of Qur'ans similar to this fragment were produced on the Iberian peninsula c. 1250-1500.  They were made for the Nasrids ruling from Granada, Spain (1232-1492) and the Marinids, who reigned from their capital in Fez, Morrocco (1248-1340).  This Qur'an executed in large maghribi script most likely was produced under Marinid patronage ca. 1250-1350.  Its script, text layout (7 lines/page), blue and green ink for diacritics, and verse markers are typical of this period (Lings 1976, pls. 97-98; and James 1992a: 218-219, cat. no. 55).%The oxidized copper contained in the green dots -- which here are used for demarcating the hamzat al-wasl (long initial "a") -- has now eaten through the paper.  Blue ink is used for the duplication of a consonant (tashdid) and the silence marks (sukun).  Verse markers consist of three interlacing gold circles forming a tripartite knot decorated with colored centers, as seen on the 4th line of text on the recto of this fragment.  In the lower right corner appears a catchword written diagonally in black ink.  This word presents the continuation of the ayah and is intended to help properly foliate the manuscript. The ayah marker on the 4th line of the verso of this text comprises a gold 8-petalled flower on a brown background painted within a round medallion.  This particular verse marker indicates a fifth verse.	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Maghribi%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy			15.5 (w) x 16.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-18		intldl/ascs			12500000	text	tx	
ascs000255	resourceid|ascs-058,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.058	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		ca. 1250-1350		Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.2 (w) x 12 (h) cm%Script: Maghribi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 60-63 and 142-144 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-An'am (The Cattle).  The right side of the recto holds verses 61-63, which provide a continuation of verses 60-61 on the left side of the fragment's verso (AL-19 V left).  The left side of the recto contains verses 142-143, which continue with verses 143-144 on the right side of the fragment's verso (AL-19 V right).  Another fragment belonging to the same Qur'an manuscript and containing verses 67-69 of the 5th surah (Surat al-Ma'idah, The Table) also is held in the collections of the Library of Congress (AL-18 R & V).%Surat al-An'am is a Meccan surah containing 165 verses.  It discusses the failures of Christianity and Judaism, as well as the nature and unity of God.%A number of Qur'ans similar to this fragment were produced on the Iberian peninsula ca. 1250-1500.  They were made for the Nasrids ruling from Granada, Spain (1232-1492) and the Marinids, who reigned from their capital in Fez, Morrocco (1248-1340).%This Qur'an executed in large maghribi script most likely was produced under Marinid patronage ca.  1250-1350.  Its script, text layout (7 lines/page), blue and green ink for diacritics, and verse markers are typical of this period (Lings 1976, pls. 97-98; and James 1992a: 218-219, cat. no. 55).%The oxidized copper contained in the green dots -- which are here  used for demarcating the hamzat al-wasl (long initial "a") -- has now eaten through the paper.  Blue ink is used for the duplication of a consonant (tashdid) and the silence marks (sukun).  Verse markers, three of which are visible on this bi-folio, consist of three interlacing gold circles forming a tripartite knot decorated with colored centers.%In the lower left corner of the right side appears a catchword written diagonally in blue ink.  This word presents the continuation of the ayah and is intended to help properly foliate the manuscript.  Other folio numbers and accession numbers appear written a posteriori in the upper left corner of the right side of the bi-folio.	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Maghribi%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			14.7 (w) x 16.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-19		intldl/ascs			12500000	text	tx	
ascs000256	resourceid|ascs-257,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.257	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		12th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 22 (w) x 28.5 (h) cm%Script: Kufi  (New Style I)%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 105-114 of the 4th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Nisa' (The Women).  The text continues with verses 114-124 on the fragment's verso.%Surat al-Nisa' addresses the social concerns of the Muslim community, in particular the rights of women and orphans, as well as the laws governing inheritance, marriage, and family rights.  It also warns of deceit, polytheism, and the lure of evil, but stresses God's forgiveness:%If anyone does evil or wrongs his own soul / But afterwards seeks God's forgiveness, / He will find God Forgiving and Merciful. (4:110)%God does not forgive the sin of joining other gods with Him (polytheism), / But He forgives whom He pleases of other sins than this. / One who joins other gods with Him, however, / Has strayed far away from the right path. (4:116)%This Qur'an is executed in Kufi (New Style I), a script typical of the 12th century (Droche 1992: 180-181, cat. no. 96).  The text is written in black ink, and all words are fully vocalized also in black ink.  Other orthographic signs, such as the duplication of a sound (tashdid), and some ayah markers in the shape of circles have been added in red ink.  A small note in red ink also has been added to the upper left corner of the recto of the  folio in order to correct a misspelled word in the main text.%The yellow "ha'" or virgule-shaped medallion in the left margin of the recto demarcates the end of five verses, in this case verse 105 (which also marks a new section in Surat al-Nisa').  The large verse marker in the center of the recto of the text consists of a decorative yellow circle with plain petals dotted on their outside borders.  This medallion marks a tenth verse, located on the recto between verses 111 and 112. Another yellow "ha'" or virgule-shaped medallion in the right margin demarcates the end of five verses, in this case verse 115.  The large verse marker in the center of the verso of the text consists of a decorative yellow circle with plain petals dotted on their outside borders.  This medallion marks a tenth verse, located here between verses 121 and 122.	Local|Kufi (New Style I)%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy			27 (w) x 33 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	Floater		intldl/ascs			11000000	text	tx	
ascs000257	resourceid|ascs-258,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.258	cll|unknown	Persian Royal Order granted to James L. Merrick		1255/1839		Dimensions of Written Surface:  18 (w) x 25 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This Persian royal decree grants the Reverend James Lyman Merrick the right to establish a school in the city of Tabriz in northwestern Persia (Iran).  The decree was issued by prince (shahzadah) Malik Qasim Mirza (d. 1859), one of the members of the royal Qajar family and the governor-general of Urumiya and Azarbaijan from 1829-1849.%The firman includes a note in English in the upper left corner, which reads as follows:  "A Firman or Order, of Muhammad Shah, the present King of Persia, authorizing Rev. J.L. Merrick to open a school in Tabriz in 18(3)9."  At the top center appears the royal seal of Muhammad Shah (r. 1834-1848), topped by an invocation to God in red ink.  Below the seal impression, a bismillah in red ink initiates the main text of the decree, which gives the Rev. Mr. Merrick permission to open a school to teach children and youngsters (ta'lim-i aftal wa javanan) various sciences ('ulum) such as geography and accounting ('ilm-i hisab).  The last line of the decree states it was written (tahrir) on 21 Rabi' I, 1255 or 5 June, 1839.%James Lyman Merrick (d. 1866) was an American Presbyterian missionary in Iran from 1834 to 1845.  He studied at the Princeton and Columbia theological seminaries.  In 1834 he was ordained as a Presbyterian evangelist at Charleston and was immediately sent on a mission to Iran.  He stayed in the cities of Tabriz, Shiraz and Urumiya until 1845.  Upon his return to the United States he was in charge of a Congregationalist church in South Amherst (1849-1864) and taught "oriental" literature at Amherst College (1852-1857).  He wrote a number of books on Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, which were translated into Persian at the end of the 19th century.%In the 34th volume of the Missionary Herald, a journal dedicated to American foreign mission, James Merrick made a note of the opening of his school (p. 236).  He states that Prince Malik Qasim Mirza wanted him to spend the winter with him as his tutor.  However, he was uncertain whether he would stay in Iran as the school was not in a "flourishing condition."  He does not elaborate any further on the subject.  This note and the firman provide valuable evidence of some of the earliest American missionary efforts in Iran around the middle of the 19th century, which included attempts at establishing schools for young students and even tutoring members of the royal family.%For a further discussion of James L. Merrick and early American missionaries in the Middle East see: Timothy Marr, "Drying Up the Euphrates:  Muslims, Millennialism, and the Early American Missionary Enterprise", in The United States & the Middle East:  Cultural Encounters, eds. Abbas Amanat and Magnus T. Bernhardsson (New Haven: Yale Center for International and Area Studies, 2002, pp. 130-149.	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Nasta'liq			32.3 (w) x 41.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	Qajar Firman		intldl/ascs			12550000	text	tx	
ascs000258	resourceid|ascs-259,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.259	cll|unknown	Shi'i talismanic piece		19th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 65 (w) x 70 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This large-scale illuminated calligraphic piece in square format appears to have been executed in Iran during the 19th century.  It includes a number of details typical of Shi'i popular and devotional materials produced during the later part of the Qajar period (1785-1925).  In all likelihood, it functioned as a talismanic object for an Iranian Shi'i patron.%At the top of the page appears a triple-bayed arcade in the center of which kneels Imam 'Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, holding his double-edged sword Dhu al-Fiqar.  At his side sit his young sons Hasan and Husayn.  Above all three figures appear four cherubim throwing rays of light that transform into golden aureoles above their green turbans.  In the upper right and left bays stands the figure of 'Abbas, the brother of Imam Husayn, who was martyred at the battle of Karbalah in 61/680.  He is represented (in duplicate) as a standing old man with a white beard and white turban, who hides his hacked right arm in his left sleeve.  As one of the important protagonists of the ahl al-bayt (household of the Prophet Muhammad) and revered martyrs of Karbalah, 'Abbas frequently is represented alongside 'Ali, Hasan, and Husayn in the arts of the Qajar period (see Fontana 1994 [cited below]: 51-52 and fig. 52).%The piece is left unfinished, as evidenced by the empty double-bayed arcade at the bottom of the page, as well as a number of empty panels originally intended to hold inscriptions.  A number of Qur'anic excerpts, such as Surat al-Kawthar (Qur'an 108), are included in panels shaped like diamonds, rectangles, and circles.  Other prayers are included as well; these find refuge in God from Satan and proclaim the bismillah, alternatively written in red, gold, and blue ink.  A number of roundels also contain the names of God, 'Ali, and Muhammad.%For a further discussion of Shi'i iconography in the arts of the Qajar period, see: Maria Vittoria Fontana, "L'Iconografia dell'Ahl al-Bayt: Immagini di Arte Persiana dal XII al XX Secolo, Supplemento n. 78 agli Annali", vol. 5/1 (Naples: Istituto Universitario Orientale, 1994), pp. 47-55 and figs. 51-61.	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Nasta'liq			71.5 (w) x 75 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	ACXX		intldl/ascs			18000000	text	tx	
ascs000259	resourceid|ascs-148,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.148	cll|Abu Muhammad Khan al-Ma'rashi	Qur'anic verse (14:7) on blue and white marble paper		18th century		Dimensions of Written Surface:  20 (w) x 11.5 (h) cm%Script:  thuluth, Persian naskh, and tawqi'%This fragmentary calligraphic panel includes a verse from the Qur'an (14:7)  and praises to God executed in thuluth, Persian naskh, and tawqi'  scripts (Selim 1979, 171).  The Qur'anic verse is written in thuluth and taken from Surat Ibrahim (Abraham).  It states "(And remember, your Lord caused to be declared):  If you are grateful, I will add more favors to you, but if you show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible."  The Qur'anic verse on the top line is followed by various praises of God and His favors to men written in the Persian naskh and tawqi' scripts.%The specimen is undated but signed in the lower left corner by Abu Muhammad Khan al-Ma'rashi.  Not much is known about this calligrapher, except that he also executed a number of Qur'ans and calligraphic sheets in naskh and fine riq'ah scripts.  One calligraphic exercise dated Safar 1165/Dec. 1751 and signed more fully "Abu Muhammad Khan b. Sayyad Ma'rashi al-Husayni al-Ma'rashi" survives in the collections of Istanbul University Library (Bayani 1358/1939, vol. 4 entry 37).  Judging by the author's Persian name and the date of the piece in Istanbul, it seems most likely that he was active in Iran during the 18th century.%Thuluth and naskh scripts are quite closely related (as one can see from the top and middle texts) while the tawqi' script used diagonally in the lower part of the fragment differs by the fact that many letters are joined with ligatures in a playful and kinetic manner.  The tawqi' script takes its name from signatures and decrees, and was used principally for scrolls, diplomas, and royal documents (Zakariya 1979, 24).  Arab authors of treatises dealing with calligraphy, such as al-Qalqashandi (d. 821/1418), state that the use of ligatures (tarwis) or hair-line joints (tash'rat) connecting letters to one another was obligatory for the tawqi' script (Gacek 1989, 146).  The ligatures, for example between the alif (a) and mim (m), form a loop in this sample of tawqi'.%The blue and white marble paper is also typical of calligraphic panels produced in 18th century Iran and Turkey.  Marbled paper (ebru in Turkish, or Kaghaz-i abri in Persian) appears to date as far back as the 16th century (Porter 1992, 53 and Porter 1988), although its use in calligraphic panels truly blooms during the 18th and 19th centuries.  The particular marbling technique used in this panel is called "marbling of tide," which is created by combing the surface with an awl (Basar and Tiryaki 2000, 20).  A salmon pink frame is pasted on top of the blue and white marble paper with the calligraphic exercises, and both papers are strengthened by being pasted to  a thick cardboard.	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Persian naskh%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Thuluth%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Tawqi'			22.6 (w) x 14.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-86-154.132		intldl/ascs			17000000	text	tx	
ascs000260	resourceid|ascs-237,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.237	cll|Mir 'Ali Heravi (attr.)	Quatrain for a king		1500-1550		Dimensions of Written Surface:  9.5 (w) x 17.6 (h) cm%Script: nasta'liq%This calligraphic piece includes an iambic pentameter quatrain, or ruba'i, written diagonally in black nasta'liq script outlined in cloud bands on a gold background.  The text panel is provided with several monochromatic frames and is pasted onto a larger pink sheet strengthened by cardboard.%In the top right corner, an invocation to God "the Unique and the Only" (huwa al-fard al-ahad) begins the poem.  The subsequent verses read:%Padishahha lashgar-i tawfiq hamrah-i tu-and / Khiz agar bar 'azm-i taskhir-i jahan rah mikuni / Ba chanin uj-i kamal as pishgah-i saltanat / Agahi u khidmat-i dilha-yi agah mikuni%Oh King, the retinue of good fortune escorts you. / Rise if you intend to capture the world. / With such a summit of perfection form the presence of Your rulership. / You are aware and you serve the conscious hearts.%This poetic eulogy to a king encourages him to defeat his enemy thanks to the support of his faithful retinue, good fortune.  It also advises him to be aware and serve his people ("those with conscious hearts").%In the lower left corner, the calligrapher, 'Ali, states that he wrote the work (katabahu).  'Ali may be identified as Mir 'Ali Heravi (d. 951/1544-5), a calligrapher active in the city of Herat (modern Afghanistan) during the 16th century, until he was taken to Bukhara (modern Uzbekistan) in 935/1528-29 by the Shaybanid ruler 'Ubaydallah Khan Uzbek (Qadi Ahmad 1959:  126-131).  He not only was the creator of nasta'liq but also a poet in his own right, having composed a number of sample verses (qit'a) in honor of his patrons.  This may be one of the poems he composed for a royal benefactor.%Other calligraphic fragments written by, or attributed to, Mir 'Ali are held in the collections of the Library of Congress.  See, for example, 1-04-713.19.38, 1-87-154.158, 1-87-154.159 and 1-88-154.65.	Local|Nasta'liq%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			20.3 (w) x 17.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-90-154.180		intldl/ascs			15000000	text	tx	
ascs000261	resourceid|ascs-066,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.066	cll|unknown	Qur'anic verses		9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 11 (w) x 7 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 49-66 of the 26th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Shu'ara' (The Poets).  The text continues with verses 67-87 on the folio's verso (1-84-154.20a V).%Surat al-Shu'ara' initiates a series of chapters (26-29) that describe various communities and their reactions to prophets of the past.  This surah in particular presents the stories of Moses, Abraham, and Noah and the perishing of their peoples due to disbelief.  Moses' splitting of the Red Sea is described in one verse:%Then We told Moses by inspiration: / "Strike the sea with your rod." / So it divided, and each separate part / became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain. (26:63)%The verso of this calligraphic fragment includes verses 67-87 of al-Shu'ara' (The Poets).  The text continues verses 49-66 on the folio's recto (1-84-154.20a R). In conclusion, referring to the drowning of Moses' people, the Qur'an states:%Verily this is a sign, but most of them do not believe. / And verily your Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. (26:67-68)%The text on the recto is executed on the flesh side of the parchment.  As a result, the ink has worn off substantially.  The Kufi script is close to syle D.IV (Droche 1992: 89, cat. no. 40), a writing style found on horizontal Qur'ans produced during the 9th century.  Red dots represent vocalization, and two red circles at verses 50 and 60 were added later to mark off groups of ten verses.%The script, layout, and red verse markers on this fragment resemble another fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-84-154.20c R & V).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy			14.9 (w) cm x 11.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	1-84-154.20a		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000262	resourceid|ascs-279,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.279	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses		9th-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23 (w) x 15 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes the entirety of the 87th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-A'la (The Most High), as well as the illuminated chapter heading and 1st verse of the 88th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Ghashiyah (The Overwhelming Event). Surat al-A'la comprises 19 verses revealed in Mecca and describes man's ability to follow God's path towards Revelation:%By degrees shall We teach you to declare the message so that you shall not forget / Except as God wills: for He knows what is manifest and what is hidden. (87:6-7).%Surat al-Ghashiyah comprises 26 verses and also dates from the Meccan period.  It largely describes the events that will take place on the Day of Judgment.%The illuminated chapter heading of Surat al-A'la, which is located at the very top of the flesh side (recto) of the parchment, has suffered considerably.  The title seems to have been slightly repainted, while the gold rectangular frame and marginal decoration in the left border remain in better condition.  Much like the chapter heading of Surat al-A'la, the verses of the chapter executed in black ink are barely legible now.  However, diacritics in red ink and verse markers consisting of three gold dots are still visible.%The remaining verses of Surat al-A'la are executed in black ink on the hair side (verso) of the parchment and thus are well preserved.  Red dots represent diacritical marks, while green dots stand for long "a" (alif) sounds.  Most verse markers are represented by three gold dots forming triangles, much like those present on the folio's recto.  However, the verso also includes a tenth-verse marker on the topmost line separating verse 10 from verse 11: it is in the shape of a gold flower inscribed with the word 'ashar (ten).  On the 5th line of text, moreover, appears a fifth-verse marker between verses 15 and 16; it takes the form of a gold upturned virgule.%As not enough space was left for the last two words (wa musa) of Surat al-A'la, these appear within the illuminated chapter heading of the subsequent chapter, i.e., Surat al-Ghashiyah.  The panel includes the name of the surah and the number of verses (26) written in gold ink and decorated by a series of green ornamental motifs placed in two horizontal bands.  The marginal gold finial on the right has been partially lost.%The fragment's script and ayah markers are related to style C.II typical of Qur'ans produced during the 9th-10th centuries (Droche 1992, 61, cat. no. 14).	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy			29.6 (w) x 21 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-1		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000263	resourceid|ascs-280,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.280	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 2	12th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13 (w) x 22.2 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 9-24 of the 72nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Jinn (The Spirits), as well as the chapter heading and first 11 verses of the 73rd chapter of the Qur'an called Surat al-Muzzammil (The Enfolded One).  Another folio (AL-3) from the same Qur'an in the collections of the Library of Congress also contains verses 17-29 of the 48th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Fath (The Victory).%Surat al-Jinn is a late Meccan surah containing 28 verses that describe the right path of the believer.  Surat al-Muzzammil describes prayer and humility:%Keep in remembrance the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him wholeheartedly. (73:8).%The chapter heading of Surat al-Muzzammil is written in gold ink at the center of the folio and states that the surah consists of 19 verses (rather than the accepted 20 in Qur'ans of today).  The next 7 verses of this surah continue unproblematically until verse 7, where a mistake in transcription has occurred.  To compensate for the error, the scribe has inserted a band of decorative scrollwork that otherwise bears no structural function within the text.  Marginal decorations on the left include a finial to demarcate the chapter heading, as well as a round blue and gold medallion inscribed with the term 'ashar (ten) to mark the surah's tenth verse.  Two other round medallions on the folio's recto mark off verses 10 and 20 of Surat al-Jinn.%Other verse markers within the text consist of gold 6-petalled flowers dotted with red and black circles.  The name of God (Allah) is consistently written in gold ink and outlined in black for visual emphasis.  Recitation notes known as "signs for stopping" ('alamat al-waqf) have been added in red ink; these marks allow the reader to determine the pace of his reading.%The text is executed in Kufi script on a beige sheet of paper rather than on parchment.  The script is in New Style I typical of vertical Qur'ans produced on paper during the 12th century (Droche 1992, 181-183, cat. no. 98).	Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic calligraphy			19.7 (w) x 30.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-2		intldl/ascs			11000000	text	tx	
ascs000264	resourceid|ascs-281,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.281	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 3	12th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.8 (w) x 22.5 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 17-29 of the 48th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Fath (The Victory).  Another folio (AL-2) from the same Qur'an in the collections of the Library of Congress also contains verses 9-24 of the 72nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Jinn (The Spirits), as well as the chapter heading and first 11 verses of the 73rd chapter of the Qur'an called Surat al-Muzzammil (The Enfolded One).%Surat al-Fath is a Medinan surah containing 29 verses.  It describes how victory can emerge from courage, devotion, and faith as evidenced by the Treaty of Hudaybiyah.%In the center of the left margin on the folio's recto, a round blue and gold medallion inscribed with the term 'ashar (ten) marks the surah's  20th verse.  The stain of another medallion appears in the upper left corner of the folio; it must have been present on this Qur'an's subsequent folio.  On the folio's verso, another marginal ornament in the shape of a finial or hanging mosque lamp appears in the center of the right margin.%Other verses markers within the text consist of gold 6-petalled flowers dotted with red and black circles.  The name of God (Allah) is consistently written in gold ink and outlined in black for visual emphasis.  Recitation notes known as "signs for stopping" ('alamat al-waqf) have been added in red ink; these marks allow the reader to determine the pace of his reading.%The text is executed in Kufi script on a beige sheet of paper rather than on parchment.  The script is in New Style I typical of vertical Qur'ans produced on paper during the 12th century (Droche 1992, 181-183, cat. no. 98).	Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic manuscripts			19.7 (w) x 30.4 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-3		intldl/ascs			11000000	text	tx	
ascs000265	resourceid|ascs-282,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.282	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 4	12th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 16.7 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 61-77 of the 25th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Furqan (The Criterion) and the chapter heading and first 24 verses of the 26th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Shu'ara' (The Poets).  Surat al-Furqan develops a contrast between Light and Darkness as a symbolic differentiation between knowledge and ignorance, whereas Surat al-Shu'ara' describes the conflict between disbelief and truth, particularly through the story of Moses' confrontation with Pharaoh (26:1-69).%The chapter heading of Surat al-Shu'ara' appears at the top of the recto's left folio.  It is executed in gold ink and specifies that the surah contains 227 verses.  In the left margin, a gold finial outlined in light blue protrudes as an extension of the chapter title.  Verse markers in the main text consist of three concentric circles painted in gold with a central dot in black ink, while marginal scalloped medallions painted in gold mark off every tenth verse.  Diacritics in the text appear as red dots, while the duplication of consonants (tashdid) are executed in light blue ink.%The text is executed in Kufi script on a beige sheet of paper rather than on parchment.  The script is related to New Style I typical of Qur'ans produced on paper during the 12th century (Droche 1992, 181, cat. no. 98).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic calligraphy			15.2 (w) x 19 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-4		intldl/ascs			11000000	text	tx	
ascs000266	resourceid|ascs-283,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.283	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 5	11th-12th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 15 (w) x 24 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 12-38 of the 39th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Zumar (The Crowds).  This Meccan surah is the last of a series of six chapters, which describe the mysteries of the spiritual world and the Hereafter.  It describes creation, as well as God's unicity, justice, and mercy.%On both the folio's recto and verso appear a tenth-verse marginal scalloped medallion painted in gold and provided with decorative red dots.  On the recto, this medallion separates verse 20 from 21, while on the verso it separates verse 30 from 31.  Verse markers within the text are quite inconspicuous, as they are executed as small yellow-beige circles that blend in with the color of the paper.  Diacritics appear as red dots, while orthographic marks such as the duplication of a consonant (tashdid) and vowellessness (sukun) appear in red ink.  The last three lines on the folio's verso have suffered damage and parts of the text were written in at a later date.%The text is executed in Kufi script on a beige sheet of paper rather than on parchment.  The script is in New Style I typical of vertical Qur'ans produced on paper during the 11th-12th centuries (Droche 1992, 172-173, cat. no. 90).	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy			18.4 (w) x 27.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-5		intldl/ascs			10000000	text	tx	
ascs000267	resourceid|ascs-284,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.284	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 6	15th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 35 (w) x 16 (h) cm%Script: Muhaqqaq%This calligraphic fragment includes parts of verses 190-191 of the 3rd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat Al 'Imran (The Family of 'Imran).  This surah describes revelation, the battles of Badr and Uhud, and the responsibilites of the Muslim community.  Verse 190 in particular describes mans ability to grasp the magnitude and power of his Lord:%Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. (3:190).%The text is executed in a crisp and fully vocalized muhaqqaq script on a light beige paper, and may have been executed in Persia or Central Asia during the early 15th century.  In its simplicity and grandeur, it recalls the famous "Baysunghur" Qur'an made either in Herat or Samarqand ca. 1400 A.D., which contained gigantic folios measuring 177 x 101 cm with writing only on their rectos (James 1992b: 18-23 and cat. no. 2).  Although a fraction of the latters size and with writing on its verso, this fragment achieves a dignity that harks back to the "Baysunghur" Qur'an.%The size and script of this Qur'anic fragment is similar to another calligraphic fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-88-154.34).  As 1-88-154.34 contains verses (86 and 89) also from Surat Al 'Imran, it is logical to assume that both items were taken from the same Qur'an, which most probably was made in Central Asia during the 15th century.	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Muhaqqaq%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			35.5 (w) x 18 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-6		intldl/ascs			14000000	text	tx	
ascs000268	resourceid|ascs-285,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.285	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 7	9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 22 (w) x 16.7 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 10-11 of the 48th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Fath (Victory).  This surah dates from the Medinan period and contains 29 verses.  It describes how triumph comes from courage, faith, and patience if the believer stays true to God:%Anyone who violates His [God's] oath, does so to the harm of his own soul, and anyone who fulfils what he has convenanted with God, God will soon grant him a reward. (48:10).%The text is executed in Kufi script with black ink on parchment.  The text on the fragment's recto is well preserved as it is executed on the hair side of the parchment.  On the other hand, the text on the fragment's verso has worn off substantially due to its execution on the flesh side of the parchment.  Diacritics appear as red dots, although some dots in yellow, green, and blue are included as well.  A verse marker between verses 10 and 11 is placed in the upper left corner of the folio's recto.  As it is a tenth-verse marker, it takes the shape of a gold-painted medallion with the word 'ashar (ten) inscribed in its center.%The text is executed in Kufi script in the D.I style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th century (Droche 1992, 69, cat. no. 21).	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy			33.5 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-7		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000269	resourceid|ascs-286,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.286	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 8	9th-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13 (w) x 22.3 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 55-74 of the 22nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage).  Immediately subsequent verses (74-78) of the same surah, as well as the first eight verses of the 23rd chapter, from the same Qur'an are included in another fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress (AL-9).  Surat al-Hajj advises the community of believers to serve God in order to seek His help and protection:%That is because God merges night and day, and He merges day and night, and verily it is God Who hears and sees all things. (22:61).%The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at 17 lines per page.  As the text on the recto is executed on the flesh side of the parchment, it has worn off substantially.  On the other hand, the text on the folio's verso is well preserved since it was written on the hair side of the parchment.%Diacritics are executed as red dots, while only two verse markers are included between verses 62-63 (recto) and 72-73 (verso).  Each verse marker is shaped like a gold flower inscribed in a square.%The text is executed in Kufi script close to the E style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th-10th centuries (Droche 1992, 116, cat. no. 62).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			19.7 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-8		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000270	resourceid|ascs-287,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.287	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 9	9th-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 13 (w) x 22.3 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 74-78 of the 22nd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage), as well as the first eight verses of the 23rd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Mu'minun (The Believers).  The folio provides a continuation of immediately preceding verses included on a folio from the same Qur'an in the collections of the Library of Congress (AL-8).  Surat al-Hajj advises the community of believers to serve God in order to seek His help and protection, while Surat al-Mu'minun describes faith, prayer, and chastity.%The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at 17 lines per page.  Diacritics are executed as red dots, while only one verse marker shaped like a gold flower inscribed in a square appears at the very end of Surat al-Hajj.  Immediately after the square ayah marker on the 11th line of text, a gold painted horizontal panel serves to separate Surat al-Hajj from Surat al-Mu'minun.  Interestingly, the title of Surat al-Mu'minum is not given; instead, the chapter begins immediately with the bismillah.%The text is executed in Kufi script close to the E style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th-10th centuries (Droche 1992, 116, cat. no. 62).	Local|Kufi%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic calligraphy			19.7 (w) x 30 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-9		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000271	resourceid|ascs-288,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.288	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 10	9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23.8 (w) x 14.7 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 85-88 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-An'am (The Cattle).  This late Meccan surah describes the nature of God and how He reveals Himself.  Verses 85-88 in particular describe a number of prophets such as Jesus, Elias, and Jonah as capable of guiding believers to the "straight path" (al-sirat al-mustaqim).%The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at six lines per page, surrounded by a gold painted frame.  Verses on the fragment's recto have worn off substantially, as they have been executed on the flesh side of the parchment.  On the recto's third line appears a fifth-verse marker separating verse 85 from 86.  It is in the shape of a gold upturned virgule.  Other verse markers on the recto and verso take the form of a gold painted flower with a central blue dot.  Diacritics appear as red dots and marks for vowellesness (sukun) as green dots.  Other diacritical marks are shaped as diagonal strokes and may have been inserted at a later date.%The text's Kufi script is in the D.I. style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th century (Droche 1992, p. 69, cat. no. 21).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Qur'anic verses			27.5 (w) x 17 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-10		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000272	resourceid|ascs-289,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.289	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 11	9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21 (w) x 14 (h) cm ar%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 14-27 of the 27th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Naml (The Ants).  It is a Meccan surah, and these particular verses describe King Solomon's powers as well as his encounter with the Queen of Sheba.%The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at sixteen lines per page.  The Kufi script is a version of style B.II found in Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th century (Droche 1992, 54-55, cat. no. 9).  Diacritics appear as red dots and only one verse marker appears on the folio's verso.  Located on the third line and separating verses 20 and 21, this tenth-verse marker is in the shape of a gold flower outlined in red and black ink.%Based on its script, lines per page, and written surface dimensions, this fragment appears to belong to the same Qur'an from which another fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress has been extracted (AL-16).  Both fragments (AL-11 and AL-16) may have been removed during the 1920's from a Qur'an, which was later for sale at Sotheby's on 13 April 2000 (Lot 1).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			25.5 (w) x 19.3 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-11		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000273	resourceid|ascs-290,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.290	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 12	9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 17.5 (w) x 11 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 105-111 of the 17th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Isra' (The Night Journey) or Surat Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel).  These verses comprise the end of the surah, which describe the Qur'an as a sign from God which must be accepted by men.  The fragment's verso is now unavailable as it has been pasted onto a sheet of paper: it may have contained immediately preceding verses of Surat al-Isra' or the chapter heading and initial verses of the 18th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Kahf (The Cave).%The text is executed in Kufi script in dark brown ink at fifteen lines per page.  Diacritical marks are executed in black, brown, and red ink.  There are no verse markers except for a now faded dotted roundel at the very end of the 111th verse, probably intended as a visual break between surahs.  In the lower left corner, the words ibtida' (beginning) and bismillah ("In the Name of God") have been added in black ink at a later date, probably to denote the beginning of the 118th surah.%The text's Kufi script is related to the D.I style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced during the 9th century (Droche 1992, 71, cat. no. 23).	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy			22.7 (w) x 16.5 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-12		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000274	resourceid|ascs-291,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.291	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 13	9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 22 (w) x 15.2 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 61-73 of the 10th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat Yunus (Jonah).  This Meccan surah describes in particular the stories of Jonah and Noah.%The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at sixteen lines per page.  The text on the folio's recto is well preserved, as it is executed on the hair side of the parchment.  On the other hand, the text on the folio's verso has been lost due to having been written on the flesh side.  Diacritics appear as red dots, and there are no verse markers except for a simple red circle located between verses 70 and 71 on the fragment's verso.  This ayah marker, however, appears to have been added at a later date.%The fragment seems to have been kept folded in two, as evidenced by the crease in the folio's center.  Moreover, an inscription in the top left corner of the fragment's verso reads mutafariqa sishom ("sixth miscellaneous"), suggesting that an art dealer numbered the fragment and organized it according to his collection of "miscellaneous" Qur'anic fragments.%The text's Kufi script appears related to the D.IV style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th century (Droche 1992, 89, cat. no. 40).	Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Kufi%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Islamic calligraphy			25.5 (w) x 20.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-13		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000275	resourceid|ascs-292,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.292	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 14	9th-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 23 (w) x 15 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 57-69 of the 28th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Qasas (The Stories).  It describes the story of Moses and Pharaoh, as well as the Prophet Muhammad's revelations.  Verses 61-69 in particular describe God's mercy for those believers who have faith, do good, and repent from their sins.%The text is executed in Kufi script in dark brown ink at fourteen lines per page.  Diacritics appear as red dots and green branch-like decorations have been added between the lines of text.  The verses on the fragment's recto are well preserved since they are included on the hair side of the parchment; however, verses on the flesh side (verso) have worn off substantially.%Verse markers are executed as minuscule light brown and gold rosettes that are almost invisible since they blend in with the color of the parchment.  The tenth-verse marker separating verses 60 and 61 on the 11th line of the fragment's recto is shaped like a large gold painted flower.  A fifth-verse marker separating verses 65 and 66 is shaped like a gold upturned virgule and appears on the 9th line of the text on the fragment's verso.%There is a water stain in the upper part of the fragment, and a now faded impression of a tughra seal impression is included in the upper left corner of the fragment's verso.%The text's Kufi script appears related to the D.Va style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th-10th centuries (Droche 1992, 100-101, cat. no. 47).	Local|Qur'anic verses%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy			24.6 (w) x 17 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-14		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000276	resourceid|ascs-293,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.293	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 15	9th-10th centuries		Dimensions of Written Surface: 29.2 (w) x 21 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 19-31 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al- An'am (The Cattle).  This surah dates from the Meccan period and describes the nature of God.  Verses 19-31 in particular describe how God reveals Himself and expose the weaknesses of paganism.%The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at thirteen lines per page.  Diacritics appear as red dots, and verse markers as little gold rosettes.  The text on the fragment's recto has worn off substantially since it is executed on the flesh side of the parchment.  A large blue and gold medallion inscribed with the term 'ashrun (twenty) located on the fourth line of text separates verses 20 and 21.  In the left margin of the fourth line, moreover, appears the word nisf (half) written in gold ink in order to mark off this particular portion (juz') of the text.%The text on the fragment's verso is better preserved as it is executed on the hair side of the parchment.  Here, a fifth-verse marker in the shape of a gold upturned virgule is included on the second line and separates verses 25 and 26.  On the penultimate line of text, moreover, appears a larger tenth-verse gold painted medallion that separates verses 30 and 31.%The text's Kufi script appears related to the D.Va style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th-10th centuries (Droche 1992, 100-105, cat. nos. 48-51).	Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Kufi%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic calligraphy			33 (w) x 23.8 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-15		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000277	resourceid|ascs-294,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.294	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 16	 9th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 21 (w) x 14 (h) cm%Script: Kufi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 68-75 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-An'am (The Cattle).  This Meccan surah describes God's nature and the ways in which He reveals Himself.  Verses 68-75 in particular describe Abraham's dispute with men who worshipped false gods.%The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at sixteen lines per page.  The Kufi script is a version of style B.II found in Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th century (Droche 1992, 54-55, cat. no. 9).  Diacritics appear as red dots and only one verse marker is included on the folio's verso.  Located on the sixth line and separating verses 71 and 72, this tenth-verse marker takes the shape of a gold flower outlined in red and black ink.%Based on its script, lines per page, and written surface dimensions, this fragment appears to belong to the same Qur'an from which another fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress has been extracted (AL-11).  Both fragments (AL-11 and AL-16) may have been removed during the 1920's from a Qur'an, which later was for sale at Sotheby's on 13 April 2000 (Lot 1).	Local|Kufi%Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			25.5 (w) x 19.2 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-16		intldl/ascs			08000000	text	tx	
ascs000278	resourceid|ascs-295,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.295	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 17	8th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 25.1 (w) x 15.5 (h) cm%Script: Hijazi%This calligraphic fragment includes verses 53-54 of the 34th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat Saba' (Sheba), as well as the first ten verses of the 35th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Fatir (The Originator). Surat al-Fatir is an early Meccan surah that deals with the mystery of creation and angels.%A verse marker in the shape of a red petalled flower appears at the end of the last two verses of Surat Saba' on the folio's recto.  Immediately following the end of this surah appears the bismillah ("In the Name of God") of Surat al-Fatir.  The surah's title and number of verses, typically given in a chapter heading, have been omitted in this Qur'an.% As the text on the recto has been executed on the hair side of the parchment, it is better preserved that the text on the verso, which has worn off substantially due to having been written on the flesh side of the parchment.%A red dot between verses 9 and 10 on the fragment's verso seems to have been added at a later date to facilitate the separation of ayahs.  Furthermore, a reader seems to have found the script and the lack of diacritics difficult to read.  For these reasons, the words al-mala'ika (the angels) and rusulan (messengers, in the accusative) have been inscribed in black ink immediately above the text line to which they correspond.%The text is executed in Hijazi 1 script in black ink at fifteen lines per page.  This kind of script is typical of Qur'ans in the horizontal format produced during the 8th century (Droche 1992, pp. 31-32, cat. no. 2).	Local|Arabic calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts%Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Islamic manuscripts%Local|Hijazi%Local|Arabic script calligraphy			30.3 (w) x 21.6 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-17		intldl/ascs			07000000	text	tx	
ascs000281	resourceid|ascs-296,display_type|h,uri|http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.296	cll|unknown	Qur'anic Verses	Koran (fragment), leaf no. 20	10th century		Dimensions of Written Surface: 5.8 (w) x 9.5 (h) cm	Local|Islamic calligraphy%Local|Arabic script calligraphy%Local|Illuminated Islamic manuscripts			18.5 (w) x 12.7 (h) cm		Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C.  20540	AL-20		intldl/ascs				text	tx