"Sonnet from a Lover to the Beloved", Folio from a Manuscript of Poetry

Art Historical Context

Step into the luminous world of early 16th-century Islamic manuscript art with this exquisite folio from a poetry manuscript, titled *Sonnet from a Lover the Beloved*. Crafted by an unknown artist this single page measures 10 3/4 by 6 3/4 inches and employs ink, opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on—materials that evoke the opulence of Persian or Ottoman courtly traditions. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department as part of the Rogers Fund acquisition of 1939, it exemplifies the codex format, where folded sheets formed luxurious bound volumes for elite patrons. The ...