Ecole persane: un panneau de calligraphie enluminé d'après Mir Emad Hessani, encre, gouache et dorure sur papier, monté sur carton, 19ème

Dim.: 36,5 x 24 cm (the outer size)
Dim.: 31 x 17cm (the inner panel size)

A Persian gouache and ink painted on paper, consisting of four lines of Nasta'liq script within cloud bands, set against a gilt ground of scrolling flowers and foliage, ruled with a blue margin decorated with gilt flower scrolls, glued on cardboard.

Mir Emad Hessani was born in Qazvin, where he had his early education. He was trained in calligraphy at first by Isa Rangkar and then Malek Deylami. Mir Emad later on moved to Tabriz to study with Mohammad Hossein Tabrizi, after which he moved to Ottoman Turkey. He returned to Semnan and worked as a scribe in Shah Abbas's library and later at his court in Isfahan. In Shah Abbas's court, Mir Emad was not the only calligrapher. Ali Reza Abbasi Tabrizi, another famous calligrapher, was also under Shah's patronage. Ali Reza Abbasi's was also a pupil of Mohammad Hossein Tabrizi (Mir Emad's teacher) and later on became Mir Emad's opponent.