Fahri of Bursa
Folio of Calligraphy

Public Domain

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ArtistCalligraphy by Fahri of Bursa (Turkish, active late 16th century, died 1617)Turkish, active late 16th century, died 1617

CultureTurkish

Titles

Folio of Calligraphy

Datelate 16th century

MediumInk, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

DimensionsSheet: 14 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (36.8 × 24.1 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the 2017 Art of the Islamic Worlds Gala

Object number2017.490

Not on view

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Department

Art of the Islamic Worlds

Object Type

BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS

DescriptionFahri, widely recognized as the Ottoman master of découpage or cut-paper art, signed this extraordinary calligraphy folio. Fahri’s fame extended beyond the Ottoman Turkish court to Iran and Europe. These Persian poetry verses show the artist at the height of his ability. Not only is the calligraphy carefully cut from the white paper, but the entire background is also meticulously incised to reveal a blue floral pattern heightened with gold. The majority of Fahri’s works are held in the Topkapi Palace Library in Istanbul. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a masterwork by this artist for the Museum’s collection.
ProvenanceCollection of Jafar Ghazi, Berlin;
[Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 19 October 2016, Lot 125];
purchased by MFAH, 2017.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Recto:

In the top right hand corner the Persian verses in nasta‘liq script are identified as those of Salman Savaji, a late 14th century Persian poet and contemporary of Hafiz:
خواجه سلمان فرماید
“Khwaja Salman says”

Followed by a ghazal by him:
“There is a coil in your ringlet, ask it about our fate,
You should ask the noose of disaster about the fate of the unfortunate.
You should ask the entirety of the unfortunate about their condition,
Since I am the most broken-hearted, ask me first.”

Verso:

In Kufic script on vellum:
Sura 70 al-Ma’arij verse 43, word 3—end

A note in the lower margin in Arabic: blessed calligraphy made by Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, God’s mercy and love, may God be pleased with him.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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