Art of Calligraphy

This is a simple candle stand with a rod fixed on a circular plate/tray which rests on three legs. The candle stand has been worked with chasing technique.

The circular tray is beautifully engraved with two calligraphic bands, which are surrounded by motifs of flower petal and fish scale.

This Qalamdan is an attractive example of a damascening or koftgari work. The qalamdan’s lid and side walls are highly decorated, however it is plain from inside.

The box has a slightly raised lid with curved edges and a flat top, which has two elongated mihrabs containing Persian inscription.

Scissors are important tools for calligraphers. They use them for shearing paper, cloth, leather or thin metal sheet.

This pair of scissors has been decorated with koftgari work. It has a long pointed tip, sharp blades and round handle.

The upper portion has beautiful ornamentation depicting floral pattern all around.

The most attractive part of the scissors is the artistic illumination of few Arabic letters near the handle portion, known as bow.

This Shia flag or long banner is a beautiful example of embroidery done with gota, kalabatu, sequin and tiny glass beads on cotton and satin silk fabric.

The design of the vertical banner has been worked in three parts. The upper portion is plain satin silk.

The second and third division depict design inspired by mosque architecture. The inscriptions are present clockwise from top to bottom. Broad yellow coloured zari gota has also been attached all over the banner.

Blue, white, green, and red coloured beads have been worked on silver badla, which gives a raised effect to the inscriptions.

Alam, the standard, is an important religious object used during the morning procession of Muharram. Such alams are made in different shapes. The ‘Panja’ or ‘protective hand’ shaped alam is considered the most sacred.

The term ‘Jaa-namaz’ refers to the prayer carpet used by Muslims while praying to Allah (The Almighty God).

This ‘Jaa-namaz’ piece is made in the kalamkari technique and has delicate floral designs. This is characteristic of Masulipatnam style of work of 19th century.

The arched gate of the mosque has been replicated very prominently in this Jaa-namaz.

There is a small panel illustrating the inscription in Arabic above the gate.

A kashkul is generally used by the Ulema (clergy) or Sufis of the Islamic mystics’ world.

This one is made of coconut de mer shell which is plant of the coconut family.

It is decorated with verses from Holy Quran and figurative work. The outer body of this kashkul has bold inscriptions arranged in a horizontal band which is magnificently carved with stylized central medallion pattern. There is a well executed floral creeper band around the written portion.

The entire pattern is carved in low relief by etching and stands out beautifully on the dark background.

The shape of this jade kashkul is like a kamandalu. It has round body with a big opening on the top.

The body has intricate decorations in the form of two rectangular bands with Persian inscriptions on both sides of the body. These bands are surrounded by floral buta, worked in slightly raised manner.

This exquisitely decorated wooden box has arabesque (interlaced foliage and tendrils), floral design and inscription on it.

The top portion of the box illustrates eight-pointed star within cartouches, with inscriptions around the points. Similar design, but in half, is on both sides and all three star buta’s are surmounted with narrow border of geometric pattern. The inner portion of the box has intricate wood carving.

Such composition has been extensively used for decorating the monuments of Deccan and North India.

An inscription and a floral pattern within diamond composition are enclosed in a criss-cross border.

This graceful cotton hand-painted talismanic tunic has a round neck, three-fourth sleeves, slightly flared skirt portion and tying system of fabric tassels on sleeves, armpit and waistline.

The tunic is fully inscribed with Quranic verses, which are handwritten. They are written within and around circles and squares of different size and style, in red and black colour. Many small squares are composed within big squares. The row of small circles around the neck line is elegant and beautiful.

The maroon silk-zari brocade garment has front opening with raised collar and full sleeves, like a choga.

It illustrates ogee arches pattern worked in ganga-jumna technique (gold and silver thread) all over the field. The inscription has been created in silver metal thread, while ogee arch pattern in leaf style has been created with zari thread.

Such garments were perhaps specially commissioned for ritualistic or religious purposes.

This masterpiece from Kashmir is a wonderful example of calligraphy and decoration on metal.

This abkhora has deep well-shaped bowl, open flared mouth and a low ring base. The name ‘Ramazan-bin-Abdullah’ appears on this vessel.

It is an important piece as it has Iranian style workmanship and the name of person who offers water to his master is inscribed on it, which is rare.

It is plain inside, while the exterior is fully carved with floral pattern, zodiac symbols and band of inscriptions from Quran and other religious tenets.

This bowl has flared mouth, edged rim, a raised knob on the inner side and a ring base. It is fully inscribed with various verses from the Quran such as Surah Fateh, Surah Kaferoon and Surah Ikhlas and Nadi Ali.

There are 40 small leaf shaped hangings attached with wire which are all inscribed with Bismillah.

This handi (cooking vessel) from North India is decorated with floral pattern and Persian couplets, which are inscribed around the object.

The Persian couplets give out messages for human beings. The date 1023 AH/ 1615 CE is inscribed near the couplets. The date is of Mughal emperor Jahangir’s reign (1605-1627).

On the inner edge and around the neck portion of vessel, the Persian couplets express the resemblance of beauty of the beloved one with the vessel.

The inner portion of the cup and lid has three rows of concentric bands inscribed with religious tenets and names such as ‘Ya Allah’ and ‘Ya-Mohammad’ in Arabic language. The first band of vessel has eight roundels, filled with inscriptions, while rest of the inscription is in circles.

Three circular bands are on the lid filled with inscriptions. The plain outer surface of the vessel is decorated with floral butas.

Astronomers and astrologers used the astrolabe for studying the altitude of celestial bodies. The provision of a simple sighting device made it possible to calculate the elevation of a particular star or of the sun. This enabled one to determine the time and indicate the direction.

The instrument consists of a solid body, the mater, into which fit a series of planets and a revolving circular web-like star map, called the ‘rete’ in Europe and the ‘ankabut’ (spider) in the Islamic world. The various elements, including a sighting vane (the alidade), on the back of the instrument, were held together by a pin.

It has many round discs, fixed in round frames with inscriptions indicating the position of stars and planets. The mater is inscribed from inside with the names of different places like Alexandria, Al-Balad, Noorpur, Madin-al-Hekma, Madina-e-Rassol, Mecca Mubarak, Basrah etc.

The second sphere has a stand which also works as part of the instrument. The usual trend in celestial spheres follows the classic Ptolemaic constellations in their standard pictorial form together with their designations in Arabic and several stars.

This sphere has many inscriptions in Arabic to indicate the position of planets and stars.

This rectangular dastarkhan or spread is a good example of cotton block printed and painted kalamkaris with cotton lining and fringes.

This graceful dastarkhan has maroon centre field, which illustrates intricately executed check-pattern.

The central panel is surmounted by narrow yellow floral border. This is followed by a broad border filled with floral design arranged in diamond pattern. Three coloured ogee-patterned border, on horizontal side, is like additional fringe or lace type decoration.

A Persian stamp is on one end of dastarkhan probably with the name of the artist ‘Qalam-a-kaar Muhammad Mahdi Sadras-Aala’.

The word ‘Dastar’ (in Persian) or ‘turban’ or ‘pagdi’ (in Hindi) is used for the long loose piece of cloth worn as head-dress by men in India.

The turban is tied by folding it in different styles and wrapping it around the head. Turban generally becomes insignia of a person’s pride. The colour, tying style, shape and additional ornamentation often indicate the status of a person in the royal court.

The fine long plain muslin of white colour has inscription of six lines in Persian at one end and is a fine example of a ‘dastar’.

The couplets describe that the turban was presented as a Hadya (gift) to a noble who was entitled as Motaámmed Daula, a minister of India by Mumin. The couplets contain prayers to Almighty God, for the noble man for his long life