Leaf of Calligraphy from Poems by Sa'di
This folio’s border is composed of cut buff paper carefully pasted onto blue paper to produce a bold design of plants and animals, with small cutouts that suggest the textures of fur and feathers. The motif of the entwined cypress and flowering tree was familiar to Persian art at the time. The inscriptions, which include an identification of the cypress tree, may have been added later. The border on the reverse was created using stencils rather than decoupage.
Artwork Details
- Title: Leaf of Calligraphy from Poems by Sa'di
- Author: Sa'di (Iranian, Shiraz ca. 1213–1291 Shiraz)
- Date: 16th century
- Geography: Attributed to Iran
- Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; decoupage and stenciled borders
- Dimensions: H. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
W. 10 1/2 in. (26.7cm) - Classification: Codices
- Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1934
- Object Number: 34.49
- Curatorial Department: Islamic Art
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