A calligraphic composition, by Hasan Zarrin Qalam, calligrapher at the court of Nasr-al-Din Shah Qajar and Muzaffar-al-Din Shah Qajar, in gulzar style, with invocations to Allah, Muhammad, 'Ali and Hasan and Husain, commissioned by the merchant Haji Mirza Ja'far Aqa-i Tabrizi
<p>pen and ink with use of some gold and colour on paper, laid down on board, two rectangular panels with two lines of bold gulzar nasta'liq incorporating veiled figures of the Prophet's family, Qajar dignitaries and merchants, and animals, the ground painted gold with cartouches filled with different styles of calligraphy including nasta'liq, naskhi and shikasteh, some sections of text written in reverse, some waterstaining, one tear, creased
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Hasan Zarrin Qalam ('Golden Pen') was a poet with the pen-name Taj al-shu'ara (Crown of Poets), and the present panel is typical of his work, including his poetry, sayings and what others have said in praise of him, written in different styles, including mirror image. For a similar composition, signed by Hasan Zarrin Qalam, dated shawwal 1295/October 1878, see S. Vernoit, Occidentalism, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol. XXIII, Oxford 1997, pp. 122-123, no. 68. For similar panels see also Bluett and Sons Ltd., Calligraphy and the Decorative Arts of Islam, London 1976, no. 14; Y. Safadi, Islamic Calligraphy, London 1978, pp. 110-111.
<bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5716977" class="extiw" title="d:Q5716977"><span title="Iranian calligrapher">Hasan Zarrin Qalam</span></a>
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Muharram 1326 AH / February 1908
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