"Unwan", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album
recto and verso: ca. 1630–40
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H. 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm) W. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Rogers Fund and The Kevorkian Foundation Gift, 1955
Accession Number
55.121.10.41
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite "Unwan" folio from the Shah Jahan, a masterful work by the renowned Persian calligrapher Mir 'Ali Har, created around 1630–40. This piece, measuring 15¼ × 10¼ inches, hails from the opulent Mughal court of Emperor Shah Jahan—famous for the Taj Mahal—where albums like this one gathered treasures of calligraphy and painting. "Unwan," meaning "title page" or "heading," exemplifies the pinnacle of Persian nasta'liq script, a fluid, elegant style Haravi helped perfect in 16th-century Herat. Crafted with ink, opaque watercolor, and shimmering gold on paper, the folio's intricat...