Şeyh Hamdullah ( -1520)

Calligraphic album

Şeyh Hamdullah’s kıt’as (calligraphic compositions) and meşk (exercises) were compiled into murakkas (albums). The vassale collage in coloured and marbled paper in the margins, illumination and binding all date from the 18th century and reflect the stylistic tastes of that period. These kıt’as are written in combinations of sülüs and nesih scripts; some as one line of sülüs followed by five lines of satır nesih and then one line of sülüs, others as one line of sülüs followed by seven diagonal lines of nesih, and others as one line of sülüs followed by seven lines of nesih. The texts consist of hadith, oral traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, on the subject of the virtues of knowledge, maturity of the mind, the evils of pride and arrogance, the wisdom of tranquility and dignity, and the importance of hard work and prayer. The calligrapher has inscribed his colophon diagonally, next to the lines of nesih. It is written in Arabic and reads, ‘written by the humble İbnü’ş-Şeyh with thanks to God and prayers to the Prophet.’

Detail

Title:

Calligraphic album

Artist:

Şeyh Hamdullah ( -1520)

Dimensions:

30 x 21,7 cm

Medium:

Sized paper, black ink, paint, gold, marbled paper

Location:

Sabancı Üniversitesi Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi (Emirgan, İstanbul, Türkiye)

Object Number:

120-0243-SH

Credit:

Reference

Exhibition History