Calligraphy

This verse in the Persian language is signed by Mir 'Ali, one of the most admired calligraphers of the 1500s. Mir 'Ali was a master of
"hanging script" (nastaliq), a style of writing that developed in the late 1400s in the Persian world. Thereafter, nastaliq became the preferred script for writing poetry in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and India. Mir 'Ali was active in the cities of Herat and Bukhara (respectively in what are now Afghanistan and Uzbekistan), but his talents were sought by patrons in Iran and Turkmenistan as well. Indeed, even the Mughal emperors of India were avid collectors of his calligraphy a century after his death.

In addition to small objects like this, Mir 'Ali produced designs for large-scale architectural inscriptions. He was also a poet and composed numerous verses to honor his patrons. It is, however, unclear whether Mir 'Ali wrote the verse in the calligraphy exhibited
here:

To each person has been given an atom of courage,
The atoms gathered together form the brilliant sun.
Courage is the purpose of life in the world,
Together the bird's feathers raise it to heights unimaginable!
(based on a translation by Dr. Ismat Nawabi)