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
1981.373.102
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite page of calligraphy hails from a 16th-century manuscript of *Kalila wa Dim*, a timeless collection of animal fables with moral lessons originally derived from ancient Indian Panchatantra tales. Translated into Arabic in the 8th century and widely adapted across the Islamic world, the text served as both entertainment and ethical guide, influencing literature from Persia to Andalusia. Produced in the second quarter of the 0s, this leaf reflects the golden age of Islamic book arts, where storytelling intertwined with spiritual and philosophical wisdom. Crafted with ink and opaque...