Page from a fine Calligraphic Album,

This album page has been assigned to the so-called Read 'Persian' Album, most of which is now housed in the Pierpont Morgan Library, on account of the comparable dimensions and the decoration. This leaf consists of a ground of stippled marble, an unusual panel of marbled paper and a mount illuminated in the Central Asian and/or Mughal style. Marbled paper was used for several of the mounts in the Read Persian Album, (see Barbara Schmitz, Islamic and Indian Manuscripts and Paintings in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, p. 112-113, and figs. 182, 236, 237), and mounts of gold scrolling vegetal and floral designs such as the one here are also found on some of the pages (ibid., p. 112 and figs. 239, 240).

The Arabic text here includes verses by the pre-Islamic poet Laqit ibn Ya'mur al-Iyadi, and other, unidentified verses.

Single album page, illuminated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, 340 x 217 mm; four panels of Arabic text in gold thulth and black naskh script with stippled, marbled surrounds and a panel of marble decoration, cream coloured mount filled with gold floral decoration, some light finger-soiling and rubbing.