19th Jun, 2025 12:00
Arts of India and the Islamic Lands
55
AN ISLAMIC REVERSE GLASS PAINTING WITH RELIGIOUS CALLIGRAPHY
Syria or Lebanon, dated 1352 AH (1933 - 34 AD)
AN ISLAMIC REVERSE GLASS PAINTING WITH RELIGIOUS CALLIGRAPHY
Syria or Lebanon, dated 1352 AH (1933 - 34 AD)
Of rectangular shape, painted in polychromes, white wash and gold, set against a white sheet of lined paper, presenting a bold calligraphic composition in thuluth and taʿliq scripts reading the name of Allah and a standard religious proclamation “God, may His Glory shine forth, is One alone, and has no associate”, signed by the maker Kamil and dated 1352, mounted and framed.
66.5cm x 50.3cm including the frame
Exhibited and literature: Alain Fouad George, Midad: The Public and Intimate Lives of Arabic Calligraphy, Dar el-Nimer for Arts and Cutlure, Beirut, 2017, cat. 71, pp. 288 - 89.
Created a decade after the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate, this glass panel remains deeply Ottoman in flavour. The calligraphy in thuluth and taʿliq scripts is pleasing to the eye, but not nearly as fine as the work of calligraphy masters. The artist signed his work with the name “Kamil,” without a surname, preceded by the colloquial Levantine expression shighil (“the work of”) rather than the customary formula ʿamal-i. These stylistic choices and the date set the production of this composition in Syria or Lebanon around the time of the French Mandate.
Reverse glass painting was adopted in the Ottoman Empire from early modern Europe, where it was customarily used for images of saints. Religious works like the present one would have been displayed at home or in a religious institution (such as a Sufi lodge), but could also occasionally be found in another setting, such as an office or a café, depending on the subject. They reflect a folk strand in post-Ottoman Arabic calligraphy that evolved in the twentieth century towards such commercial outlets as street banners and cinema posters.
Sold for £443
AN ISLAMIC REVERSE GLASS PAINTING WITH RELIGIOUS CALLIGRAPHY
Syria or Lebanon, dated 1352 AH (1933 - 34 AD)
Of rectangular shape, painted in polychromes, white wash and gold, set against a white sheet of lined paper, presenting a bold calligraphic composition in thuluth and taʿliq scripts reading the name of Allah and a standard religious proclamation “God, may His Glory shine forth, is One alone, and has no associate”, signed by the maker Kamil and dated 1352, mounted and framed.
66.5cm x 50.3cm including the frame
Exhibited and literature: Alain Fouad George, Midad: The Public and Intimate Lives of Arabic Calligraphy, Dar el-Nimer for Arts and Cutlure, Beirut, 2017, cat. 71, pp. 288 - 89.
Created a decade after the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate, this glass panel remains deeply Ottoman in flavour. The calligraphy in thuluth and taʿliq scripts is pleasing to the eye, but not nearly as fine as the work of calligraphy masters. The artist signed his work with the name “Kamil,” without a surname, preceded by the colloquial Levantine expression shighil (“the work of”) rather than the customary formula ʿamal-i. These stylistic choices and the date set the production of this composition in Syria or Lebanon around the time of the French Mandate.
Reverse glass painting was adopted in the Ottoman Empire from early modern Europe, where it was customarily used for images of saints. Religious works like the present one would have been displayed at home or in a religious institution (such as a Sufi lodge), but could also occasionally be found in another setting, such as an office or a café, depending on the subject. They reflect a folk strand in post-Ottoman Arabic calligraphy that evolved in the twentieth century towards such commercial outlets as street banners and cinema posters.
Auction: Arts of India and the Islamic Lands, 19th Jun, 2025
Our specialist auction Arts of India and the Islamic Lands is now online for you to browse, peruse and fall in love with your next antique.
Among the highlights, this sale vaunts a remarkable selection of Rajput Schools paintings and an illustrated loose folio from a Timurid Haft Paykar series, all part of a private Canadian collection; several gem-studded Indian necklaces, treasured heirlooms of a local family; a notable group of Islamic manuscripts, including a geomantic tome attributed to the Nubian alchemist Dhul-Nun al-Misri; and several lots of Persian Qajar lacquer belonging to the heir of a British diplomatic family in office under Sir Denis Wright in Tehran between 1971 - 1973.
Our selected lots preview starts next week, on Tuesday 3rd June, and the full view is going to take place from Friday 13th June until the sale day.
Mark your calendars and come to see us!
Viewing
Viewing:
13th June - 10:00 - 17:00
14th June - 11:00 - 16:00
15th June - 11:00 - 16:00
16th June - 10:00 - 17:00
17th June - 10:00 - 17:00
18th June - 10:00 - 17:00
