Lot 44: AN ILLUMINATED HILYA SHARIF CALLIGRAPHY PANEL, TURKEY, 19TH - 20TH CENTURY

The composition is executed in ink, polychrome pigments, and gold on paper. The work is structured into several distinct calligraphic sections. The upper section features the Basmala written in a bold Thuluth script, set against a background of gold floral illumination. The central lozenge contains the core Hilye text in a neat Naskh script, flanked by four circular cartouches containing the names of the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. Below this is a prominent horizontal panel containing Verse 4 of Surah Al-Qalam (68:4), written in large Thuluth script. A circular cartouche below the main text contains a description of the Seal of Prophethood. The entire background of the composition is filled with dense ghubari (micro-calligraphy), a technique requiring significant precision. The illumination includes scrolling floral motifs, gold leaf highlights, and a repeating sawtooth border pattern. The work is mounted within a dark brown mat and housed in a gold-toned wooden frame.

55.5 by 43cm