Album Page with Découpé Calligraphy
Unknown Artist
1630–40
Medium
Gouache on black paper with colored and white decoupage
Dimensions
Frame: 18 1/8 × 13 11/16 × 7/8 in. (46.1 × 34.7 × 2.2 cm) Image: 16 3/4 × 12 5/8 in. (42.5 × 32 cm) Sheet: 12 3/8 × 7 7/8 in. (31.5 × 20 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions, Harris Brisbane Dick, and 2020 Benefit Funds; Howard S. and Nancy Marks, Lila Acheson Wallace, and Friends of Islamic Art Gifts; Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; and funds from various donors, 2022
Accession Number
2022.203
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Album Page with Découpé Calligraphy*, created around 1630–40, exemplifies the refined artistry of Islamic manuscript traditions. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Islamic Art, it features intricate calligraphy crafted through découpé—a meticulous technique where letters are precisely cut from colored and white papers, then layered and adhered with gouache onto a striking black paper ground. Measuring about 12⅜ × 7⅞ inches on the sheet, this page likely originated from a *muraqqa'* (album), a cherished format in Persian and Ottoman courts for compiling poetry, calligraphy, and illuminations as personal treasures. The use of découpé, or *qat'ah*, highlights the calligrapher's mastery of negative space and shadow play, transforming flat text into a sculptural, jewel-like composition that dances against the dark backdrop. Dating to the Safavid era or similar contexts, such works celebrated the Qur'anic reverence for beautiful writing while showcasing technical innovation. Black paper, uncommon yet dramatic, amplifies the luminous cutouts, evoking illuminated manuscripts but with a modern, tactile flair. As part of the museum's renowned Howard Hodgkin Collection, this anonymous gem invites visitors to appreciate how Islamic artists elevated ephemera into enduring art, blending devotion, poetry, and craft in a single, mesmerizing page.