Walters Ms. W.670, Album of Persian and Indian calligraphy, miniatures, and prints

W.670

Album of Persian and Indian calligraphy, miniatures, and prints

Muraqqaʿ

Vernacular: مرقع

This is an album, in the form of an accordion book, of Persian and Indian calligraphy and miniatures, as well as two European prints, assembled in the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE. It contains fourteen illustrations, two of which are ascribed to Bihzād (fol. 2b) and Riz̤ā Muṣavvir (fol. 6a). There are also bird and flower paintings attributable to the late Zand or early Qajar periods, as well as late Mughal portrait paintings. There are numerous calligraphy specimens in various Persian scripts, such as Nayrīzī-style naskh, taʿlīq, nastaʿlīq, and shikastah. The majority of these calligraphic compositions (in Persian and Arabic) are signed by Iranian calligraphers of the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE, such as Muḥammad Ṣādiq al-Riḍawī (Riz̤avī), ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī, Muḥammad ʿAlī, Muḥammad Kāẓim Kulpāykānī (Gulpāygānī), and Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Iṣfahānī.

10th century AH / 16th CE -- 13th century AH / 19th CE

Iran and India

As-written name: Bihzād

Name, in vernacular: بهزاد

As-written name: Riz̤ā Muṣavvir

Name, in vernacular: رضا مصور

As-written name: Muḥammad Ṣādiq al-Riḍawī (Riz̤avī)

Name, in vernacular: محمد صادق الرضوى

As-written name: Muḥammad Ṣādiq ibn Navvāb Mīrzā Muḥammad ʿAlī

Name, in vernacular: محمد صادق بن نواب ميرزا محمد على

As-written name: Mīr ʿAlī

Name, in vernacular: مير على

As-written name: Shāh Maḥmūd

Name, in vernacular: شاه محمود

As-written name: ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī

Name, in vernacular: على الحسينى

As-written name: Muḥammad ʿAlī

Name, in vernacular: محمد على

As-written name: Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Kulpāykānī (Gulpāygānī)

Name, in vernacular: محمد كاظم الكلپايكانى

As-written name: Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Iṣfahānī

Name, in vernacular: محمد كاظم الاصفهانى

Album

Historical

The primary language in this manuscript is Persian. The secondary language of this manuscript is Arabic.

Paper

Mounted on pasteboard

Foliation: 21

21.0 cm wide by 33.0 cm high

fols. 1b - 21a:

1. Title: Muraqqaʿ
2. Scribes: Muḥammad Ṣādiq al-Riḍawī (Riz̤avī); Muḥammad Ṣādiq ibn Navvāb Mīrzā Muḥammad ʿAlī; Mīr ʿAlī; Shāh Maḥmūd; ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī; Muḥammad ʿAlī; Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Kulpāykānī (Gulpāygānī); Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Iṣfahānī
3. Artists: Bihzād; Riz̤ā Muṣavvir
4. Hand note: Written in Nayrīzī-style naskh, taʿlīq, nastaʿlīq, and shikastah scripts; signed pieces by Muḥammad Ṣādiq al-Riḍawī (Riz̤avī), 1257 AH / 1841-2 CE (fols. 5a, 7a, 15a [dated 1257 AH / 1841-2 CE], 18b, 19a [dated 1257 AH / 1841-2 CE], and 20b); Muḥammad Ṣādiq ibn Navvāb Mīrzā Muḥammad ʿAlī (fol. 14b); Mīr ʿAlī (fol. 10a); Shāh Maḥmūd (fol. 13a); ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī (fol. 16b [dated 1217 AH / 1802-3 CE]); Muḥammad ʿAlī (fol. 6b [dated 1224 AH / 1809 CE]); Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Kulpāykānī (Gulpāygānī) (fol. 4b); and Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Iṣfahānī, 1214 AH / 1799-1800 CE (fols. 19b [dated 1214 AH / 1799-1800 CE] and 20a).
5. Decoration note: Fourteen Persian and Indian illustrations, two of which are ascribed to Bihzād (fol. 2b) and Riz̤ā Muṣavvir (fol. 6a)

Upper board outside:

1. 
2. Title: Lacquer binding
3. Form: Binding
4. Label: This lacquer binding with floral decoration was executed in Qajar Iran in the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE.

Upper board inside:

1. 
2. Title: Doublure
3. Form: Binding
4. Label: This lacquer doublure has floral decoration and dates to the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE.

fol. 2b:

1. 
2. Title: Court scene
3. Form: Illustration
4. Label: This illustration bears a later attribution to Bihzād in the small panel on the left side of the composition. The style is comparable to painting in Bukhara during the tenth century AH / sixteenth CE.

fol. 3a:

1. 
2. Title: An enthroned Mughal prince with four attendants
3. Form: Illustration

fol. 3b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page

fol. 4a:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page

fol. 4b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in Nayrīzī-style naskh script and is signed by Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Gulpāykānī.

fol. 5a:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in Nayrīzī-style naskh script and is signed by Muḥammad Ṣādiq al-Riḍawī (Riz̤avī), dated 1257 AH / 1841-2 CE.

fol. 5b:

1. 
2. Title: Portrait of an Indian girl with raised hand
3. Form: Illustration

fol. 6a:

1. 
2. Title: Dervish with a cup
3. Form: Drawing
4. Label: This drawing of a dervish with a cup bears the inscription mashaqahu (?) Riz̤ā Muṣavvir.

fol. 6b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in Nayrīzī-style naskh script and is signed by Ibn Muḥammad ʿAlī, dated 1224 AH / 1809 CE.

fol. 7a:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in Nayrīzī-style naskh script and is signed by Muḥammad Ṣādiq al-Riḍawī (Riz̤avī), dated 1257 AH / 1841-2 CE.

fol. 8b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in shikastah script.

fol. 9a:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in shikastah script.

fol. 9b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in nastaʿlīq script.

fol. 10a:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in nastaʿlīq script and is signed by Mīr ʿAlī.

fol. 10b:

1. 
2. Title: A flowering branch with a bird and butterfly
3. Form: Illustration
4. Label: This painting is attributable to the late Zand or early Qajar period (twelfth century AH / eighteenth CE or thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE).

fol. 11a:

1. 
2. Title: Two birds sitting on a flowering branch
3. Form: Illustration
4. Label: This painting is attributable to the late Zand or early Qajar period (twelfth century AH / eighteenth CE or thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE).

fol. 11b:

1. 
2. Title: Colored print
3. Form: Print
4. Label: This is a colored print of William Nassau.

fol. 12a:

1. 
2. Title: Colored print
3. Form: Print
4. Label: This is a colored print of Ambroise Spinola, Marquis de Seste, Duc de Sanseuern…, by B. Moncornet.

fol. 12b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in nastaʿlīq script.

fol. 13a:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in nastaʿlīq script and is signed by Shāh Maḥmūd.

fol. 13b:

1. 
2. Title: Man and animals in the shape of an elephant (composite animal)
3. Form: Stencil drawing

fol. 14a:

1. 
2. Title: Man and animals in the shape of an elephant (composite animal)
3. Form: Stencil drawing

fol. 14b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in shikastah script and is signed by Muḥammad Ṣādiq ibn Navvāb Mīrzā Muḥammad ʿAlī.

fol. 15a:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in shikastah script and is signed by Muḥammad Ṣādiq, dated 1257 AH / 1841-2 CE.

fol. 15b:

1. 
2. Title: A Mughal ruler enthroned
3. Form: Illustration
4. Label: This painting of a Mughal ruler enthroned dates to the twelfth century AH / eighteenth CE.

fol. 16a:

1. 
2. Title: Portrait of a Mughal emperor
3. Form: Illustration

fol. 16b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in shikastah script and is signed by ʿAlī al-Ḥusaynī, dated 1217 AH / 1802-3 CE.

fol. 17a:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in shikastah script and is inscribed Umm-i Aqā ʿAbd al-Ḥusayn.

fol. 17b:

1. 
2. Title: Mughal official
3. Form: Illustration

fol. 18a:

1. 
2. Title: Mughal man with shield, swords, and dagger
3. Form: Illustration

fol. 18b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in Nayrīzī-style naskh script and is signed in tawqīʿ script by Muḥammad Ṣādiq al-Riḍawī (Riz̤avī), dated Rab. I 1257 AH / 1841 CE.

fol. 19b:

1. 
2. Title: Calligraphy page
3. Form: Calligraphy page
4. Label: This calligraphy page is written in taʿlīq script and is signed by Muḥammad Kāẓim al-Iṣfahānī, dated 1214 AH / 1799-1800 CE.

The binding is original.

Lacquer (both outer and inner boards) (no flap); floral decoration in the main panel

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Principal cataloger: Gacek, Adam

Catalogers: Landau, Amy; Smith, Sita

Editor: Bockrath, Diane

Conservators: Jewell, Stephanie; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Barrera, Christina; Emery, Doug; Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William; Simpson, Shreve; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.; Valle, Chiara

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.