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
1981.373.85
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite page of Arabic calligraphy hails from a 16th-century manuscript of *Kalila wa Dim*, a timeless collection of animal fables adapted from ancient Indian tales into Arabic and Persian literature. Popular across the Islamic world, these stories—much like Aesop's fables—impart moral lessons through clever narratives of foxes, lions, and kings, making them beloved for both education and entertainment. Produced in the second quarter of the th century, this leaf reflects the golden age of Persianate manuscript production, likely from a Safavid or Timurid-influenced workshop. Rendered i...