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Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy
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The fainting of Laylah and Majnun
AUTHOR/CREATOR
Calligrapher: unknown
CREATED/PUBLISHED
1550-1600
NOTES
Dimensions of Painting: Recto: 12.2 (w) x 16.7 (h) cm
Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.2 (w) x 20.9 (h) cm
Script: nasta'liq
This folio depicts a well-known passage from the tragic story of Laylah and Majnun described in the third book of Nizami's "Khamsah" (Quintet). Forcibly separated by their respective tribes' animosity, forced marriage, and years of exile into the wilderness, these two ill-fated lovers meet again for the last time before their deaths thanks to the intervention of Majnun's elderly messenger. Upon seeing each other in a palm-grove immediately outside of Laylah's camp, they faint of extreme passion and pain. The old man attempts to revive the lovers, while the wild animals protective of Majnun ("The King of Wilderness") attack unwanted intruders.
The location and time of the narrative is hinted at by the two tents dressed in the middleground and the dark nighttime sky in the background. The composition's style and hues are typical of paintings made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the 16th century. Many manuscripts at this time were produced for the domestic market and international export, rather than by royal commission.
The verso of this folio describes the painting on the recto. This particular painting appears to have been executed at the same time as the text of the "Khamsah" proper, which survives on the painting's verso (1-86-154.123 R). Eight other folios from the same manuscript -- mostly initial and terminal folios of the various books (kitab) from the "Khamsah" -- are held in the Library of Congress as well. These bear the same nasta'liq script at 20 lines in 4 columns/page within a similar written surface size of c. 12 (w) x 21 (h) cm. The folios are: 1-84-154.1a R & V, 1-85-154.1b R & V, 1-85-154.2a R & V, and 1-85-154.2b R & V.
For an English translation of Nizami's story of Laylah and Majnun, see R. Gelpke (trans./ed.), "Nizami: The Story of Layla and Majnun" (London, 1966) and P. Chelkowski et al, "Mirror of the Invisible World: Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami" (New York, 1975): 49-65. For further illustrations of Nizami's "Khamsah", see I. Stchoukine, "Les Peintures des Manuscrits de la ‘Khamseh' de Nizami au Topkapi Sarayi Muzesi d'Istanbul, Institut Francais d'Archéologie de Beyrouth", vol. 96 (Paris, 1977).
SUBJECT
Arabic script calligraphy
Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic manuscripts
Nasta'liq
Arabic calligraphy
MEDIUM
14.1 (w) x 23.1 (h) cm
CALL NUMBER
1-86-154.123
REPOSITORY
Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C. 20540
DIGITAL ID
ascs 146
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.146
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