Page of Calligraphy from a Kalila wa Dimna
Unknown Artist
second quarter 16th century
Medium
Ink and opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
Overall: H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm) W. 8 7/8 in. (22.6 cm) Average text size: H. 8 5/8 in. (21.9 cm) W. 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection, Gift of Alice Heeramaneck, 1981
Accession Number
1981.373.53
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite page of Arabic calligraphy hails from a 16th-century manuscript of *Kalila wa Dim*, a beloved collection of animal fables originating from ancient Indian tales like the *Panchatantra*. into Arabic in the 8th century and circulated in the Islamic world, the text offered moral lessons through witty stories of cunning foxes, wise lions, and scheming beasts. Produced in the second quarter of the1500s—likely in a Persian or Ottoman workshop—this single folio captures the storytelling tradition that bridged cultures from India to Europe, influencing medieval literature and even La Fon...