Calligraphy attributed to Mir 'Ali Haravi (d. 1550)

Calligraphy attributed to Mir 'Ali Haravi (d. 1550)

Uzbekistan, Bukhara, circa 1550

Ink, gouache and gold on paper, mounted on a cardboard album page with gold-flecked margins. Two fine nasta'liq lines in black ink, inscribed in reserve, in cloudy cartouches, on a lapis blue background, illuminated with floral and spiral arabesques, embellished with small seated figures, one holding a bottle of wine ready to serve the other figure holding his cup. 29.5 x 20 cm; Text: 7.8 x 18 cm. Several leaves from this album are scattered in private and public collections. The largest set, comprising twelve folios, is currently preserved at the Harvard Art Museum (Inventory 1958.63 to 1958.74). Originally part of Louis Cartier's collection in 1933, these folios were acquired by the Harvard Museum in 1957 (see : Cartier et les Arts de l'Islam, aux Sources de la Modernité, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Imprimé à Vérone, 2021, p.294, cat.7a.). Among these pages, a colophon mentions the name of the great master calligrapher Mir 'Ali (al-Haravi), highlighting his exceptional mastery. A calligraphy attributed to Mir 'Ali Haravi (d. 1550) Uzbekistan, Bukhara, circa 1550