Album leaf with a Shii invocation, 17th century India (Deccan or Kashmir) Ink, colors, and gold on paper
This leaf of fine nastaliq calligraphy was conceived as an artistic endeavor, in which the writing is integrated with the ornamental background. The decorative technique of marbleizing paper spread from Iran to Turkey and to India, particularly the Deccan. Nastaliq calligraphy, employed in Iran, had also been favored in India since the late sixteenth century. Here, the scribe was very conscious of the rhythms and balances of the horizontal and vertical letters, written diagonally. The strong black ink against the gentle swirls of the smoky blue and pale beige of the marbleized design gives the impression that the letters are floating, adding a mystical dimension to the page.
