Islamic calligraphy inscriptions on rare artefacts dating back to the 15-16th century are being exhibited at the National Museum. Shrabasti Mallik reports
A shallow brass bowl from circa 1495 CE belonging to the Delhi Sultan Sikander lodi, engraved with Arabic calligraphy, a brass globe made during the rule of Shah Jahan (1627-1658) and the centuries-old scissors from Jaipur with casting of iron and gold in Arabic language and Nashk script and several other rare artefacts are on display at the National Museum.
The ongoing exhibition, Art of Calligraphy and Beyond: Arabic-Persian Inscriptions on Decorative Art Objects, showcases the vast scope of calligraphy through 56 curated objects.
The art of calligraphy was first started with writings of Quran in Kufic scripts in Arabic languages. With the expansion of Islam, calligraphy also reached other parts of the world where it was encouraged, adopted with the regional characters and flourished in different ways. “Moreover the uniqueness and the flexibility of Arabic letters encouraged the calligraphers to introduce various scripts and different media. Kufic, Naskh, Nastaliq, Tugra and many more scripts were used to decorate manuscripts, architecture and different type of utility artefacts,” says curator Anamika Pathak.
Most of the artefacts on display were created with exquisite surface ornamentation for daily ceremonial and occasional needs of royalty and the common man. These objects also reflect the social and cultural milieu of different regions and periods.
“It also helps to understand the aesthetic taste of users, artistic skills of manufacturers and their technological development,” she says.
There are 20 objects in the exhibit, which Pathak points out as the “important ones.” They provide either name of the calligrapher, date of manufacturing or name of the owner. These artefacts have been decorated with different techniques likekoftagari or damascening, bidri, niello, engraving, writing, printing and embroidery on textiles. The curator says, “The name of the patron or calligrapher adds value to the object.”
Artefacts in the exhibition have been arranged as per their utility — writing implements, religion, faith, tradition and trade. It primarily focusses on the vast scope of calligraphers and craftsmen work which is not confined to paper and architecture.
“The great artistic skill of metal and wood carvers, inlay workers, engravers and textile weavers are all reflected here. All these artisans had adopted different methods of illustrating an inscription. The aim of the exhibition is to highlight these elements on decorative artefacts. Craftsmen had carried out the tradition of inscriptions very dedicatedly on metal pen cases, bowls, plates, wooden boxes, jade mendicant bowls, textiles and costumes. These artefacts are diverse in nature and decorated with Persian-Arabic inscriptions along with floral designs,” concludes Pathak.
For the benefit of visitors the artefacts have been arranged in five main groups — writing implements, religion, faith, tradition and trade. The exhibition will continue till July 20.