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Hurouf: The Art of the Word

Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 1

ALI HASSAN
B. 1956
THE GREEN TREE

signed and dated 2010 on the reverse


150 by 150cm.; 59 by 59in.

ESTIMATE 18,000 - 22,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 18,750 USD
PROVENANCE
al markhiya gallery, Doha

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 2

KAMRAN DIBA
B. 1937
DOHA EDITION (FROM GLOBAL NEWSPAPER AND FRONT PAGE SERIES)

signed and dated 10


print and acrylic on canvas

177.5 by 144.5cm.; 69 7/8 by 56 7/8 in.

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 6,875 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The word al Haya

In this new series of works Global Newspaper and Front Page inspired by newspapers and current affairs, Kamran
Diba is responding to the impact of modernity and globalisation, most importantly addressing issues of
communication at an international level. He is attempting to address and go beyond the limitations of language, a
medium which is perceived by the artist as a potentially divisive instrument that encourages segregation.

The edited sources of news and images are lifted from a host of multi-lingual daily newspapers, being actual copies
of pictures and articles in the international press. Diba painstakingly recreates the news in a collage of visuals and
colours, that transcend the barriers of language and race. By abstracting and reducing the information to colours
symbolising each news topic, the newspaper which normally has a short life-span, is given a visual permanence.

Rendering the black and white illustrations from newspapers, Diba creates compositions with hard edged
abstraction and photo realism which endeavour to contrast the figurative with non-figurative imagery.

Indebted to the Japanese artist On Kawara, Diba is inspired by Kawara's use of archiving global events in a
succinct and abstract manner. Diba embraces his skill of using colour to further enhance the coding of the various
topics.

This work departs from the rest of the series in that it is not so much a commentary on the divisiveness of language
and cultural barrier, but more a homage to the al-Thani family, whose vision for culture, education and society is
deeply admired by the artist. Visually organising his canvas into the form of a broadsheet, Doha Edition depicts
symbols of the city and the legacy of the ruling family in a stimulating graphic narrative that portrays his respect for
their vision.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 3

HASSAN MASSOUDY
B. 1944
(I) UNTITLED (JOUBERT)
(II) UNTITLED (IBN ZAYDOUN)
(III) UNTITLED (ANTOINE DE ST. EXUPERY)

Each: signed twice and dated 2007

pencil and ink on paper, in three parts

Each: 74.5 by 54.5cm.; 29 1/4 by 21 3/8 in.

ESTIMATE 8,000 - 12,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

(I) On ne peut trouver de poésie nulle part quand on n'en porte pas en soi - Joubert 1754-1824
(II) Nous n'avons eu qu'à faire ployer les rameaux de l'amour
Dont les fruits s'offraient à nous,
pour en cueillir autant que nous désirions. - Ibn Zaydoun XI s.
(III) Si tu diffères de moi, frère, loin de me léser, tu m'enrichis. - Antoine de St. Exupéry

(I) You cannot find poetry anywhere if you do not hold it within yourself- Joubert 1754-1824
(II) We just have to bend the branches of love
Whose fruits are presented to us
To pick as many as we desire- - Ibn Zaydoun XI century
(III) If you are different from me, brother, it's not wrong, on the contrary you enrich me - Antoine de St. Exupéry

Iraq's most famous contemporary calligrapher and an internationally acclaimed artist, these three works
epitomise Hassan Massoudy's virtuoso penmanship and remarkable use of colour.

Born and raised in the profoundly religious town of Najaf, Hassan Massoudy's practice was dominated by a strict
code of artistic conduct that prohibited figurative representation. Massoudy therefore invested his time in creating
drawings and calligraphies driven by his immediate cultural context.

In 1961, Massoudy chose to leave Najaf and relocated to Baghdad where he was apprenticed to a number of
calligraphers. Immersion in Baghdad's burgeoning art scene encouraged the artist to dedicate himself to his calling.
But the political events that followed forced Massoudy to leave his native Iraq for Paris, and in 1969 he began his
studies at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he experimented with figurative painting. But for Massoudy it was
impossible to discard his love of calligraphy and the Arabic language; whilst studying he would design the headlines
for Arabic magazines, and in time it became his sole focus. Massoudy had come full circle.

His passion was calligraphy and his muse was philosophy, the words and letters he paints are intellectually driven
manifestations of philosophy and emotion. Massoudy is a master of penmanship producing works of controlled
energy in exquisitely balanced compositions; departing from tradition in his bright palette, the dynamism of his
sweeping brushstrokes and his experimentation with light and performance.

In these three vivid works, Massoudy presents lines from three very different writers: the eighteenth century French
moral philosopher Joseph Joubert, the celebrated author of Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the
eleventh century Moorish poet Ibn Zaydoun who is renowned for reviving Andalusian poetry. By combining such a
broad spectrum of European literary references, Massoudy's brush strokes bring fresh nuances to the Arabic word,
informing this distinctly Islamic art with European literature and philosophy. In many ways east and west do finally
meet here in Massoudy's work.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 4

SAMIR SAYEGH
B. 1945
BARAKA

signed, titled and dated 2010 twice on the reverse


acrylic and gold leaf on canvas

99.7 by 99.6cm.; 39 1/4 by 39 1/8 in.

ESTIMATE 10,000 - 15,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 15,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The word Baraka (Blessing)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 5

NASROLLAH AFJEI
B. 1933
UNTITLED

signed twice; signed and dated 1972/2008 on the reverse; signed, dated 1972/2008 and inscribed Tehran on the stretcher
oil on canvas

150.5 by 150cm.; 59 1/4 by 59in.

ESTIMATE 40,000 - 50,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 50,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 7

KAMAL BOULLATA
B. 1942
ALIF LAM MIM (A.L.M.)

signed on the reverse


acrylic on canvas, in three parts

Each: 100 by 50cm.; 39 3/8 by 19 5/8 in.


Overall: 100 by 150cm.; 39 3/8 by 59in.
Executed in 2009.

ESTIMATE 18,000 - 22,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Artspace Gallery, Dubai

EXHIBITION
Dubai, Artspace Gallery, Kamal Boullata, 2009, n.p., illustrated in colour

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the letters alif lam mim, and the opening verse of surah al-baqqarah (II)
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 8

MOHAMMAD EHSAI
B. 1939
UNTITLED

signed and dated 1341 AP/1962 AD


89 by 179.5cm.; 35 by 70 5/8 in.

ESTIMATE 250,000 - 350,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 554,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 1962

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 9

HUSSEIN MADI
B. 1938
THE ARABIC ALPHABET

signed twice; signed twice, titled, dated 2008 and inscribed A.B.C. on the reverse
acrylic on canvas

165 by 165cm.; 65 by 65in.

ESTIMATE 40,000 - 60,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Codification of the Arabic alphabet

Hussein Madi is widely considered to be one of Lebanon's most important artists, and his experiments with
letter form and colour have established him as a master of the Hurufiyyah movement.

Long fascinated with the Arabic script, Madi began work on his Alphabet series in 1973. In much of his work the
artist marries a calligraphic line with a more European figurative subject matter, but in this series Madi pushes the
boundaries of calligraphy by exploring each letter form, transforming the Arabic alphabet into an inventive
calligraphic code.

In 30 medallions, Madi has reformulated the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet as well as the combined letters lam-
alif, painted onto a mosaic background. In the first roundel, the word Allah precedes the remainder of the alphabet
and thereafter he dramatises and experiments with each letter, multiplying them and creating differing compositions
in each sphere.

Inspired by Egyptian hieroglyphics that were largely based both on nature and meaning, Madi creates letter forms
that are simultaneously symbolic and naturalistic. The artist places each of his heavily stylised letters in a
cartouche, evoking the Pharaonic custom of enclosing their deities in a medallion. This deification ties neatly in to
the spirituality of the Arabic script, especially with regard to the word Allah, and is a clever technique that highlights
and strengthens the impact of the symbol, conveying its importance to language, to faith and to art.

This is arguably one of Hussein Madi's highest achievements, and is a fascinating homage to calligraphy, and the
Arabic alphabet.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 10

NJA MAHDAOUI
B. 1937
GRAPHEMES

signed
ink and gold paint on paper

135 by 135cm.; 53 1/8 by 53 1/8 in.


Executed in 2009.

ESTIMATE 50,000 - 70,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 86,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 11

MEHDI SAEEDI
B. 1978
UNTITLED

signed and dated 88 AP/2009 AD; signed and dated 88 AP/2009 AD on the reverse
acrylic on canvas

119.1 by 99.7cm.; 46 7/8 by 39 1/4 in.

ESTIMATE 18,000 - 22,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Xerxes Art, London

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 12

YOUSEF AHMAD
B. 1955
MOVEMENT OF LETTER

signed and dated 08; signed, titled and dated 2008 twice on the reverse
mixed media on canvas

179.5 by 179.2 by 8.3cm.; 70 5/8 by 70 1/2 by 3 1/4 in.

ESTIMATE 30,000 - 50,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 47,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Artspace Gallery, Dubai
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2008

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 13

ALI OMAR ERMES


B. 1945
THE FOURTH ODE (FROM THE PRIZE POEM SERIES)

signed and dated 1993 twice


acrylic on paper mounted on canvas, in two parts

250.2 by 302.3cm.; 119 by 98 1/2 in.

ESTIMATE 250,000 - 350,000 USD


EXHIBITION
Dubai, Meem Gallery; Kuwait City, Dar Al-Funoon, Ali Omar Ermes, 2008, n.p., illustrated in colour

LITERATURE
Ed. Sajid Rizvi, Reaching Out: Conversations on Islamic Art with Ali Omar Ermes, London 1993, pp. 28-29,
illustrated in colour

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The full forth ode by the pre-Islamic poet Turfan Ibnu Abd

"Arabic letter forms are the basis of Ermes' paintings, and as such they speak volumes about his beliefs, about the
culture from which he comes, and about the ultimate source of his inspiration."
Exhibition Catalogue, Dubai, Meem Gallery; Kuwait City, Dar Al-Funoon, Ali Omar Ermes, 2008, n.p.

This magnificent painting is the largest work ever to be offered at public auction by the eminent
calligrapher Ali Omar Ermes, the artist's fascination with Arabic letter forms is truly captured in this
monumental homage to the fourth ode of the Mu'allaqat al Saba'a, the famed Prize Poems.

A world renowned calligrapher, and a fixture on the international art scene, Ali Omar Ermes is one of the most
celebrated artist/calligraphers of the last thirty-five years.

A painter first and foremost, Ermes' compositions revolve around the letter form of the Arabic alphabet. Working in a
wide variety of sizes and proportions, the artist challenges calligraphic principles by rearranging passages of text
according to his own artistic vision, using a range of colours and working on a monumental scale creating rhythmic
and captivating compositions that do not require translation. Although the artist flouts tradition in scale, palette and
calligraphic arrangement he continues to work on traditional hand-made paper, as he has in this masterpiece.

Ermes' epic painting The Fourth Ode is the largest of a group of seven paintings that celebrates the Seven Odes of
Arabic poetry, al Mu'allaqat al Saba'a, known in English as The Prize Poems. When a poem was judged to be
exceptional it was embroidered in gold on silk cloth, and hung at the ka'ba as a sign of general acclaim, therefore
retaining a notable place in the history of Arabic literature.

In this magnificent work, Ermes pays homage to the pre-Islamic poet Turfah Ibnu Abd who wrote the poem. Ermes
depicts the full 106 lines of the ode for which Turfah won such high acclaim. Though he died at the age of 26 and
he pre-dated the Islamic period, Turfah's work has placed him firmly in the pantheon of great Arab poets.

This magnificent painting, with its amalgamation of various letter forms in varying sizes, painted across vast
sections of luminous colour is arguably one of Ali Omar Ermes' greatest works to date.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 14

HOUMAM AL SAYED
B. 1981
CALLIGRAPHY

signed
mixed media on canvas

190 by 150cm.; 74 3/4 by 59in.


Executed in 2010.

ESTIMATE 3,000 - 4,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 10,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 16

OMAR BILBEISI
B. 1976
UNTITLED

signed and dated 2010


acrylic on canvas

70 by 70cm.; 27 1/2 by 27 1/2 in.

ESTIMATE 3,000 - 5,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 10,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Articulate Baboon, Cairo

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 17

CHARLES HOSSEIN ZENDEROUDI


B. 1937
LOVE

signed twice and dated 69


acrylic on paper mounted on canvas

48.5 by 63.5cm.; 19 1/8 by 25in.

ESTIMATE 50,000 - 60,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 62,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Spain (commissioned directly from the artist)

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script

This seminal work is the transition of Zenderoudi's work from a pure two dimensional alphabetic exercise
to more complex forms.

The multi-coloured layering of the alphabet, with the characters seemingly super imposed onto each other, shows
the transition of Zenderoudi's work as he begins to experiment with more painterly compositions and brushstrokes.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 18

MOHAMMAD EHSAI
B. 1939
ESHGH KHOSOOSI (LOVE)

signed and dated 1368 AP/1989 AD


oil and gold leaf on canvas

102.2 by 72cm.; 40 1/8 by 28 3/8 in.

ESTIMATE 70,000 - 100,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 176,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Shams Gallery, Tehran (acquired directly from the artist)

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

A couplet by the Persian poet Hafiz

"The sanctuary of love has a threshold beyond reason


The person who kisses that threshold is the one who is prepared to
risk his life"

A rare and important example of Ehsai's work that is inspired by the Persian lyric poet Hafiz, rather than the
graphic letter form.

The genius of Hafiz is still widely recognised today, mainly thanks to the lasting impact of his literary innovation. He
was responsible for developing the 'song of love', as the ghazal is known, into its accepted form. It is now an
established genre of Arabic poetry, having infiltrated the other classical languages of the medieval Islamic empire
including Turkish, Persian and Urdu, in whose literary traditions the ghazal can now be found. Hafiz was a linguistic
and literary craftsman who revolutionised poetry in the Islamic lands, becoming one of its pre-eminent and most
distinguished poets, and whose works have been described variously as 'exquisite' and 'sublime'.

Love and passion, although not Qur'anic themes, have attained substantial importance in mysticism and Arabic
secular literature. Many of Islam's epic poems deal with unrequited love and its attendant madness, as well as the
beauty of true love, passion and faithfulness. All the great theologians, poets and artists have made statements on
the varying degrees and manifestations of love and it is no wonder that Ehsai drew on Hafiz for inspiration. The
flame red, gold and black are the perfect foil for the couplet, and are a powerful visual reminder of the ghazal, the
'song of love'.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 19

SADEGH TABRIZI
B. 1939
UNTITLED

signed
oil and gold leaf on canvas in artist's frame

179.5 by 180.3cm.; 70 5/8 by 71in.


Executed in 2008.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 30,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 28,750 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 20

PARVIZ TANAVOLI
B. 1937
HEECH

signed, stamped and numbered 6/6 on the base


bronze

40 by 19 by 12cm.; 15 3/4 by 7 1/2 by 4 3/4 in.


Executed in 2005, this work is number 6 from an edition of 6.

ESTIMATE 25,000 - 50,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 31,250 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The letter ha
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 21

ALI TOY
B. 1960
ALLAH

signed and dated 2003


ebru, ink and gold leaf on paper

45 by 64cm.; 17 3/4 by 25 1/8 in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The word Allah

Drawing on strong architectural and geometric forms, Ali Toy's calligraphy is a modernist approach to an Ottoman
art form; and is a style of script that could be described as constructivist in its simplicity and rigour.

The Ottoman period is renowned for the perfection of naskhi script.


Students would invest years of practice with the great masters to achieve precision in this neat and scholarly hand.
Toy departs from the principles of naskh and the Ottoman format by developing a script that is strong, graphic and
minimalist, but no less precise.

Interestingly, whilst he departs from calligraphic tradition, Toy has adopted a very traditional presentation. In his use
of marbled paper, and in maintaining the landscape orientation of the work, Toy recalls the poetry and calligraphy
exercises of the Ottoman period. The combination is a hugely successful union of the traditional and the modernist.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 22

PROF. FUAD KOUICHI HONDA


B. 1946
THE GREEN COSMOS

ink, gouache and pen on paper

174.5 by 135.3cm.; 68 3/4 by 53 3/8 in.


Executed in 2006.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 30,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 50,000 USD
LITERATURE
Honda Takakazu, The Cosmos of Arabic Calligraphy: The Works of Fuad Kouichi Honda, Hakusuisha 2006, p. 76,
illustrated in colour

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-baqarah (II), verse 255 (ayat al-kursi)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 23

MOHAMED KANOO
B. 1963
LA' (NO)

titled
acrylic on canvas

130.5 by 130cm.; 51 3/8 by 51 1/8 in.


Executed in 2009.

ESTIMATE 12,000 - 18,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 15,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The word La' (No)

Quite clearly inspired by the Argentine-born artist Lucio Fontana, Mohamed Kanoo transforms standard calligraphy
into a conceptual and sculptural triumph. In 1959, Fontana began the so-called Slash Series of paintings that
featured precisely cut and slashed painted canvases. A trained sculptor, these works draw on concepts of mass,
movement, time and space by transforming a flat and one dimensional surface into something else entirely - simply
by introducing the space behind the canvas.

Kanoo began producing his own slash paintings by merging the slash with Arabic script, in this case the word for
'no' La', thus the artist introduces a conceptual and cultural identity to a work that is also driven by physics and the
philosophy of time.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 24

BURHAN DOGANCAY
B. 1929
CALLIGRAPHIC GAZELLE (FROM THE RIBBONS SERIES)

signed and dated 1979


Gouache on paper

75.5 by 56cm.; 29 3/4 by 22in.

ESTIMATE 12,000 - 18,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 15,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Collection of Didier Charlet, Paris (acquired directly from the artist in 1981)
Private Collection, Switzerland (acquired directly from the above)

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script

Heavily inspired by the use of the wall as a means of expression, Dogancay's Ribbons Series sources monumental
raw material from flat wall surfaces and creates delicate and more intimate dialogues between politics and his own
abstract calligraphy.

Deteriorating surfaces are beautiful to Dogancay. The various elements of colour, light, shadow and texture
influence his sketches, photography and his writings. As with Calligraphic Gazelle, his observations of daily urban
life lead to these memorable, calligraphic, layered compositions using paint and occasionally incorporating actual
posters and found materials. Each of his works is an artistic expression and it is no wonder that he is one of
Turkey's most highly acclaimed artists. Combining graffiti-style script with the beauty he perceives in naturally
decaying walls, Calligraphic Gazelle is a textured painting that harmonises the harshness of political posters with
the sensitivity of Dogancay's hand.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 25

KHALED BEN SLIMANE


B. 1951
ASCENSION VIII

acrylic on canvas

190 by 400cm.; 63 by 157 1/2 in.


Executed in 2010.

ESTIMATE 80,000 - 120,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 92,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the word Allah, and others of His ninety-nine names


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 26

HAMID AJAMI
B. 1962
UNTITLED

signed and dated 2007


oil on canvas, in four parts

Each: 169 by 70.7cm.; 66 1/2 by 27 5/8 in.


Overall: 169 by 282cm.; 66 1/2 by 111in.

ESTIMATE 10,000 - 15,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the word Allah


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 27

GURKAN PEHLIVAN
B. 1970
TAWAKALTU ALA ALLAH (I PLACE MY TRUST IN GOD)

signed and dated 1431 AH/2010 AD


ink on paper

90 by 165cm.; 35 3/8 by 65in.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 30,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 25,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah hud (XI), verse 56:

'I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving [living] creature but He has grasp of its
forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the Straight Path [the truth]'

Surrounded by the description of the physical attributes of the Prophet Muhammad


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 28

FARHAD MOSHIRI
B. 1963
095TTV

signed, titled and dated Spring 2005 twice on the reverse


oil, acrylic, gold leaf and glue on canvas

174.7 by 260.5cm.; 68 3/4 by 102 1/2 in.

ESTIMATE 100,000 - 150,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 782,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Tehran (acquired directly from the artist)

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

A series of letters and numbers

Drawing inspiration from the clash of modernity and tradition in contemporary Iranian culture, Farhad Moshiri's
oeuvre contemplates in numerous ways the existential crisis inherent to the modern Middle East.

In this series of works featuring numbers and letters overlaid and intertwined to form either an abstract design or a
meaningful pattern depending on the perspective, Moshiri combines two very distinct artistic traditions in a visual
puzzle drawing on optical illusion.

To a western eye, without knowledge of Arabic letters and numerals or Islamic tradition, this canvas has an
intentionally abstract expressionist quality that can be likened to the works of Willem de Kooning dating from the
latter half of the 1940s. Suffering financially during this period, de Kooning turned to household enamels in black
and white with which to execute his paintings. He completed a series of works that were essentially either black on
white ground, or white on black ground exploring the automatic drift of his hand across the canvas. These dynamic
paintings and particularly Attic (1949) in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York are closely comparable to
Moshiri's numerological canvases.

To the middle eastern eye the canvas clearly draws on the traditions of magic and numerology that are alive and
well in many provincial pockets of the region, and which was certainly a thriving custom until the late nineteenth
century. The recognition of magical forces in Islamic culture manifested itself in many ways, from magic bowls
inscribed with numerals and symbols that would cure the patient if he drank from it, to talismanic shirts worn
beneath armour that protected the soldier in battle.

For centuries mystic thinkers of the Islamic world pondered the hidden significance of letters, giving them not only a
phonetic value but also an arithmetic one. These arithmetic values gave much room for interpretation, for predicting
the future, for finding divinity in the written word and for many other purposes. The abjad system was a codification
of the Arabic alphabet that applied numerical values to each letter and was used on scientific instruments, and for
talismanic codes and magical operations.

In this canvas, Moshiri cleverly combines the modern fundamentally western aesthetic of Abstract Expressionism
with an essentially Islamic concept of numerology, and the final result is both a subtle commentary and an elegant
work of art.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 29

ZOULIKHA BOUABDELLAH
B. 1977
HOBB (LOVE)

aluminium

80 by 167 by 5cm.; 31 1/2 by 65 3/4 by 2in.


Executed in 2010, this work is unique.

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 9,375 USD
EXHIBITION
Dubai, Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde, Zoulikha Bouabdellah - Set Me Free from My Chains, 2010

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the word Hobb (Love)

AUTHENTICATION
This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 31

LULWAH AL-HOMOUD
B. 1967
ALLAH (FROM THE LANGUAGE OF EXISTENCE SERIES)

signed, titled, dated 2008 and numbered 5/20


silkscreen on paper

120 by 89cm.; 47 1/4 by 35in.

ESTIMATE 1,500 - 2,500 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 8,125 USD
LITERATURE
Exhibition Catalogue, London, SOAS Brunei Gallery, Edge of Arabia, 2008, n.p., illustrated

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the word Allah


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 32

KATAYOUN ROUHI
B. 1965
UT POESIS PICTURA (AS IS PAINTING, SO IS POETRY)

signed and dated 89 AP/2010 AD; signed and dated 2010 on the reverse
oil and paper collage on canvas

162 by 130cm.; 63 3/4 by 51 1/8 in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 22,500 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Verses from the artist's own poem


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 33

MOHAMED EL BAZ
B. 1967
THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS

photograph, neon, wood and glass in artist's frame, in three parts

Each: 162.5 by 123.5cm.; 64 by 48 5/8 in.


Overall: 162.5 by 370cm.; 64 by 145 5/8 in.
Executed in 2010, this work is unique.

ESTIMATE 18,000 - 22,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 28,750 USD
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Dubai

EXHIBITION
Dubai, Al Bastakiya Art Fair, FOUR, 2010

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

(I) The word al Ahram, title of the Egyptian newspaper


(II) The word al Hayat, title of the Lebanese newspaper
(III) The word al Quds, title of the Palestinian newspaper
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 34

MOUNIR FATMI
B. 1970
TÊTE DURE

signed, titled, dated 2006 twice, numbered 1/1 and inscribed Est-ce qu'il se ne ressamblant? / Ceux qui savent ou ceux qui ne
savent pas? on the reverse
acrylic and gold paint on canvas

200 by 250cm.; 78 3/4 by 98 3/8 in.

ESTIMATE 50,000 - 70,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 134,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, France

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-zumar (XXXIX), verse 9

"Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?"
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 35

HAJI NOOR DEEN MI GUANG JIANG


B. 1963
KHARIYTAH AL-'ALAM (THE MAP OF THE WORLD)

signed, stamped with the artist's seal, titled and dated 1341 AH/2010 AD twice
ink and watercolour on paper mounted on canvas

142 by 247cm.; 55 7/8 by 97 1/4 in.


Executed in 2010, this work is unique.

ESTIMATE 30,000 - 50,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 92,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Athr Gallery, Jeddah

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the word Allah


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 36

MOHAMMED AL SHAMMAREY
B. 1962
SHRINE (MAQAM)

signed twice, titled and dated 2010


giclee print and acrylic on canvas

101 by 136.5cm.; 39 3/4 by 53 3/4 in.

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 8,750 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the word Maqam (Shrine)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 37

LAILA SHAWA
B. 1940
AGAINST THE WALL (FROM WALLS OF GAZA III SERIES)

signed and dated 89-09; signed, titled, dated 1989-2009 and numbered 1/3 on the stretcher
digital print and mixed media on canvas

100.2 by 147.7cm.; 39 3/8 by 58 1/8 in.


Executed in 2009, this work is number 1 from an edition of 3.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 25,000 USD


EXHIBITION
if Galerie, Paris, co-incidences, 2010, another example exhibited

LITERATURE
Gerard Houghton, "When She Dreams of Gaza: Laila Shawa", in: Canvas, Vol. 6, September/October 2010, p. 16
&p. 132 (detail), illustrations of another example in colour

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Political slogans

A native of Gaza, it is impossible for Laila Shawa not to be inspired by her surroundings; as a result Against the
Wall is simultaneously a means of expression and an artistic achievement. In balancing colour and palette, and
overlaying and repeating the forms to create a sense of depth and symmetry, Shawa's work is undeniably a work of
art. Yet it takes inspiration from a typical Arab wall in its use of slogans, the simplistic style of the graffiti, the
repeated stencils and the incorporation of the cartoon boy Hanthala. The political cartoonist Naji al-Ali's image of
Hanthala is graffitied across Palestine, he is found on walls and reproduced on key chains, and is considered to be
the visual representation of the Palestinian struggle. Thus this work is conceptually driven, politically motivated and
aesthetically refined.

Against the Wall is an accurate representation of a middle-eastern wall, a highly visible and unmonitored means of
expression. A form of inner-city literacy, it is one of the ways in which artists, poets and even the common man can
communicate their feelings and opinions however great or small, whether artistic or not, for others to witness and
consider in their daily lives.

The artist's statement;

"The graffiti on the walls in Palestine, and particularly in Gaza during the uprising against Israel occupation, was a
result of the banning of any kind of media by the Israelis, such as newspapers, radio or television to the
Palestinian's. Therefore the Palestinian's had to resort to using the Walls of their city to communicate with each
other, sometimes calling for resistance or civil disobedience, and at times actually praising or denouncing a
particular situation. My use of the repeated figure of "Hanthala" is a reference to the large number of children killed
in the last brutal attack on Gaza in 2009 by the Israeli air force . This work is not your usual inter-city literacy, as
seen in other Middle Eastern cities."
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 38

BITA GHEZELAYAGH
B. 1966
FELT MEMORIES - ARE BULLETS THE ANSWER TO FLOWERS

metal and embroidery on felt in Plexiglas box

126.4 by 126.4cm.; 49 3/4 by 49 3/4 in.


Executed in 2009.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 6,250 USD
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, London

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Javab gol goulgouleh ast? (Are bullets the answer to flowers?)

Previously an architect and art director of several Iranian films, Ghezelayagh has been combining talismanic
symbols and embroidery on felt since 2004. Ghezelayagh feels that it embodies qualities such as simplicity and
resilience, which she notices are often disregarded in Iran's march to modernity.

Her tunics and capes are felt canvasses on which she expresses her memories of growing up in Iran. She found
herself heavily influenced by post-revolutionary visual popular culture particularly its symbols of resistance,
protection and martyrdom and has sought a new visual language that embraces tradition and modernity through a
unique combination of ancient signs, symbols and calligraphy with conceptual art.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 39

HASSAN MEER
B. 1972
HOUSE II

photograph

150 by 115cm.; 59 by 45¼in.


Executed in 2009, this work is number 2 from an edition of 3.

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 7,500 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Verses by the Omani poet Asma Issa, and the artist's grandfather
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 40

AFSHIN PIRHASHEMI
B. 1974
UNTITLED

Each: signed
oil and silver paint on canvas, in two parts

Overall (including frame): 130 by 235.3cm.; 51 1/8 by 92 5/8 in.


Executed in 2009.

ESTIMATE 50,000 - 70,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Homa Gallery, Tehran
Acquired directly from above by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Two couplets by the Persian poet Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 41

LALLA ESSAYDI
B. 1956
CONVERGING TERRITORIES #22ABS

Right panel: signed, titled and numbered 8/15 on a label affixed to the reverse
chromogenic print mounted on aluminium, in three parts

Each: 101.5 by 83.5cm.; 40 by 32 7/8 in.


Overall: 101.5 by 250cm.; 40 by 98 3/8 in.
Executed in 2003, this work is number 8 from an edition of 15 and was printed in 2008.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 30,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 31,250 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Phrases from the artist's own poems and diaries


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 42

ARMAN STEPANIAN
B. 1956
UNTITLED

signed, dated 2008 and numbered 2/7


cibachrome print

Image: 98.5 by 65.5cm.; 38 3/4 by 25 3/4 in.


Overall: 124.2 by 91.2cm.; 48 7/8 by 35 7/8 in.

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 43

NURJAN
B. 1987
ALLAH TEARDROP

Swarowski crystals on slate

80 by 60cm.; 31 1/2 by 23 5/8 in.


Executed in 2010.

ESTIMATE 1,500 - 2,500 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,625 USD
PROVENANCE
Mica Gallery, London

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The word Allah

Inspired by her British/Turkish/Cypriot/Pakistani heritage, Nurjan, at the tender age of 23years, has emerged as one
of London's freshest and brightest creative stars. Her exotic influences are captured in her work, which is a fusion of
styles and influences. Specializing in Swarovski crystals, Nurjan trained at the University of the Arts and began to
explore different ways of personal expression through art fusing Eastern and Western influences. Each piece is
exclusive and never reproduced. She has been working on a special collection juxtaposing the sparkle and beauty
of Swarovski crystal against more natural mediums like slate and copper.

As a branded partner for CRYSTALLIZED Swarovski Elements, Nurjan has been commissioned by a number of
celebrities including Kimora Lee Simmons and has her work in various private collections including Aisha and
James Caan (of Dragons Den), Ahlya Fateh (MD of TataNaka and ex-editor of Tatler), Kristiane Backer (Author and
TV presenter) and Faiza Seth (CEO of CasaForma). Nurjan has exhibited at the Mica Gallery South Kensington, at
Somerset House in the presence of HRH Crown Prince of Malaysia, at Battersea Power Station in the presence of
HRH Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan and HRH Princess Badiyah of Jordan. Nurjan was selected out of several
hundred emerging artist to create a 'Mosaic of Talent' for their Royal Highnesses, collaborating with Khaver Idrees,
which was a special memento to their VIP guests. Nurjan has also exhibited with Candida Arts centre in Islington
London as part of The Three Faiths Forum 'WomenArTogether' exhibition. Most recently, one of her Swarovski
Crystal pieces raised £12,500 at a charity auction for The James Caan Foundation.

The artist's statement;

Allah is our creator. Art cannot portray the almighty but the brilliance and sparkling mystical spirit of the Swarovski
crystal is intended to capture the beauty of God. This piece consists of thousands of tiny Swarovski crystals, each
skillfully hand applied over time, capturing the spirit of traditional Islamic art techniques, which are so lost in the
chaos of modern living. One of the 99 names of Allah is An-Nur, meaning The Light. Nurjan is drawn to iridescent
beauty of Swarovski crystal because it creates an array of light, sparkle and splendor that no other medium can
convey. The colour chosen (crystal aurore boreale) has a special coated effect, mirroring that of diamonds. As the
audience view the artwork from various angles, the colours change along with the sparkle from different viewpoints
creating an almost magical effect on the onlooker forcing them to stop and reflect on the wonder of God. I have
chosen to place Allah in the shape of a teardrop to symbolize the peak of ones spiritual journey.

"When submitting to the oneness of God, during prayer tears often roll from my eyes, tears that wash away the
chaos, the conflict, the pain, the hedonism around me, lifting my soul to a higher level" Nurjan.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 44

JAMSHID BAYRAMI
B. 1961
RHAPSODY

Each: signed on the reverse; titled, dated 2006-2010 and numbered 1/1+2AP on a label affixed to the reverse
digital print on canvas, in three parts

Each: 216 by 109.5cm.; 85 by 43 2/8in.


Overall: 216 by 328.5cm.; 85 by 129 3/8in.
Executed in 2006, this work is from an edition of 1 plus 2 artist's proofs and was printed in 2010.

ESTIMATE 10,000 - 15,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 12,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Xerxes Art, London

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 45

AHMED MOUSTAFA
B. 1943
INTERIOR IN THE EXTERIOR

signed and dated 1407 AH/1987 AD


tapestry

258 by 416cm.; 101 1/5 by 163 3/4 in.


Executed in 1987, this work is unique and is woven by Pinton, Felletin-Aubusson, France in 1988.

ESTIMATE 250,000 - 350,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 458,500 USD
EXHIBITION
Rome, Pontificia Universitas Gregoriana; Sarajevo, The National Gallery; Barcelona, Museu Diocesà, Where the
Two Oceans Meet, 1997-1998

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-baqarah (II), verse 255 (ayat al-kursi)

"God there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-subsistent Fount of All Being. Neither slumber overtakes
Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him,
unless it be by His leave? He knows all that lies before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot
attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills. His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the
earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And He alone is truly exalted, tremendous."

The above cited Qur'anic verse is the source of inspiration for this composition. The vision of absolute power and
dominion to which the words give expression is as though condensed into the image of a giant black cube placed
into the interior of another cube imbued with light. The text of the verse is displayed on the walls of the luminous
cube and figures in gold-lettered ribbons three times on the sides of the black cube.

The binary oppositions to which the text gives expression heaven and earth, what is perceptible to man and what is
hidden from him are visually echoed by a series of binary oppositions within the composition, most notably the
contrast between the alignment of the exterior and the interior cubes. Particularly striking in this respect is the sharp
edge of the latter which divides the composition right down the middle. It faces the viewer head-on with such
challenge that the entire black cube appears about to spring into motion in order to penetrate both heart and mind.

The words which straddle this crucial edge in threefold repetition are ma bayna aydihim, translated in the rendering
cited above as 'all that lies before men'. The Arabic phrase, however, is an idiom which literally translated means
'that which is between their hands'. Seen in combination with this wording, the cutting edge of the cube comes to
symbolise 'between-ness' as such - the dividing line which marks all dualities and oppositions and renders them,
and with it the visible world as such, perceptible to man. Behind that edge are the four sides of the black cube which
remain hidden from view, suggestive of an invisible expanse encompassed by the divine presence which as the
verse affirms alone overcomes division.

Originally produced in oil and water colour, the composition was woven into a tapestry by the Pinton company of
weavers which was founded in 1767. The best among the heirs of a tradition of high quality, with its unrivalled
reputation, Pinton is and has been for quite some time the major tapestry-maker in Aubusson (in fact Felletin, its
sister-town). Through the quality of its productions and through its connections with major artists it has played a
leading role in the rebirth of modern tapestry. Notably, it was entrusted with the weaving of the largest tapestry in
the world, designed by Graham Sutherland and commissioned for the Cathedral of Coventry. Several of Ahmed
Moustafa's compositions were woven into tapestries by Pinton, notably the Trilogy of the Arab Horse (1981) which
was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works of the State of Qatar for the conference centre of the Doha
Sheraton. Among the artists who had tapestries woven at Pinton studios are Arp, Bazaine, Calder, Le Corbusier,
Sonia Delauny, Dufy, Picard le Doux, Fernand Leger, Lurcat, Ubac, Vasarely and Zadkine.

Dr. Stefan Sperl

Senior Lecturer in Arabic


School of Oriental and African Studies
London
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 46

GEORGE LEWIS
B. 1974
BINT AL BASEERA (THE LADY WITH INSIGHT)

signed and dated 2010 on the reverse


gouache and acrylic on paper

53 by 70.8cm.; 20 7/8 by 27 7/8 in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 6,250 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Excerpt from the writings of the Arab scholar and philosopher, Al-Tahawani

"Vision enlightens the Soul.

Vision casts into the soul the sacred, divine light which reveals the inner reality of being, just as physical sight
brings to the mind the outer shape of things.

In its basic form, philosophers call vision the sighted rationality. When kindled by divine light and unveiled by the
guidance of truth then philosophers call it the sacred power."
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 47

ZAKARIA RAMHANI
B. 1983
FACES OF YOUR OTHER 38 (FROM DE DROITE À GAUCHE SERIES)

signed
199.5 by 240cm.; 78 1/2 by 94 1/2 in.
Executed in 2010.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 22,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Artspace Gallery, Dubai

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 48

HAMZA BOUNOUA
B. 1979
FIGURES IN LETTERS

signed; signed, titled and dated 2010 on the backing board


120 by 120cm.; 47 1/4 by 47 1/4 in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 10,625 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

EXHIBITION
New York, Agora Gallery, Journey into Art, 2010
Kuwait City, Dar Al-Funoon, Art in Kuwait, 2010

LITERATURE
Exhibition Catalogue, New York, Agora Gallery, Journey into Art, 2010, n.p., illustrated in colour

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 49

ALI HASSAN
B. 1956
NOON (N)

signed and dated 2010 on the reverse


150 by 200cm.; 59 by 78 3/4 in.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 25,000 USD

PROVENANCE
al markhiya gallery, Doha

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The letter noon


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 50

RACHID KORAÏCHI
B. 1947
AHMED EZAATAR

signed and numbered 1/2 on the base


bronze

210 by 164 by 105.5cm.; 82 3/4 by 64 1/2 by 41 1/2 in.


Executed between 1985-2009, this work is number 1 from an edition of 2 plus, 1 Artist's proof.

ESTIMATE 180,000 - 250,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 182,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The artist's own pictograms

There are arguably few highly accomplished sculptors in the Middle East, but Koraichi is firmly placed in
this pantheon with this outstanding work of art his largest sculpture ever to be offered at public auction.
Simultaneously imposing, intellectual and spiritual, it is one of his most important works to date and is
truly of museum quality.

Throughout the region, artists of the mid-twentieth century were inspired by local culture. In North Africa Berber
symbols, magical insignia and Islamic motifs were incorporated into mainstream art. In keeping with the hurufiyyah
movement, Koraichi utilises symbols, words and talismanic squares taken from local culture that draw upon the
Islamic tradition of magic bowls and talismans, protecting the wearer from harm and black magic, as well as
absorbing west and north African indigenous icons and beliefs. Yet Koraichi looks outside the boundaries of his
immediate locale and is inspired and influenced by extensive international travel, with clear parallels to Far Eastern
pictograms notably the phonetic Japanese alphabet Hiragana.

In 1980 Koraichi began developing an etching inspired by Ahmad al Azaatar, a poem written by the celebrated
Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, that paid tribute to the struggle within the eponymous refugee camp during the
Lebanese Civil War. In August of 1976, this camp was destroyed and the number of victims reached the thousands.
Koraichi's etching and Darwish's poem were both published in Une Nation en l'Exil and were conceived as a eulogy
to those who lost their lives (Edition Fondation Shoman, Amman). In 2009, Koraichi revisited his iconic symbol and
completed the work he had begun thirty years before by casting the sculpture as he had always intended.

In creating this highly individual and esoteric symbol, emblematic of revolution, of peace, of loss, of magic and spirit,
of Arabia and the Orient, the artist frees the letter form - creating something that is conversely, not esoteric at all. In
its lack of linguistic sense, in its liberated form, this becomes a universal symbol: a pictogram that can be
appreciated by any viewer and any culture, both for what it is and what it is not. Whilst his inspiration is deeply
rooted in his Algerian heritage, Koraichi is truly an international artist whose works speak to a global audience.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 51

SALWA ZEIDAN
ALLAH

Each: signed, titled, dated 2007 and numbered consecutively No. 1-6 on the reverse
acrylic on canvas, in six parts

Each: 50 by 50cm.; 19 5/8 by 19 5/8 in.


Executed in 2007, this work is unique.

ESTIMATE 7,000 - 10,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 11,250 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

LITERATURE
Abu Dhabi, Salwa Zeidan Gallery, In Light, 2009, n.p., illustrated in colour

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the words Allah and Huwa (He)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 52

MOUMTAZ KIOMO
LAHDHATOU CHAGHAF (A MOMENT OF PASSION)

signed and dated 10


analog and digital mixed media on canvas

150 by 100cm.; 59 by 39 3/8 in.


Executed in 2010, this work is unique.

ESTIMATE 1,000 - 2,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 2,750 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The phrases Hal anta jahiz? "Are you ready?" Lahza "A Moment" Hubb hayati "Love of My Life"
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 53

FATHI HASSAN
B. 1957
HARAM ALEIKUM (SHAME ON YOU)

signed, titled and dated 2010 twice on the reverse


mixed media on board in Plexiglas frame

67.4 by 50.6cm.; 26 1/2 by 23 1/2 in.

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, London

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the phrase Haram aleikum (Shame on you)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 54

MAQBUL FIDA HUSAIN


B. 1915
ALLAH

signed and dated 010


41.5 by 29.5cm.; 16 3/8 by 11 5/8 in.

ESTIMATE 15,000 - 20,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 18,750 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The word Allah


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 55

MAQBUL FIDA HUSAIN


B. 1915
AL QAF

signed, titled and dated 010


41.5 by 29.5cm.; 16 3/8 by 11 5/8 in.

ESTIMATE 15,000 - 20,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 18,125 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Repetition of the letter qaf


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 56

KHALED BEN SLIMANE


B. 1951
(I) UNTITLED
(II) UNTITLED

(I) signed and dated 2004


(II) signed and dated 2006
(I) painted and glazed ceramic with metal base, in five parts
(II) painted and glazed ceramic with metal base, in four parts

(I) 181 by 22 by 22cm.; 71 1/4 by 8 5/8 by 8 5/8 in.


(II) 147.2 by 21 by 21cm.; 58 1/8 by 8 1/4 by 8 1/4 in.

ESTIMATE 25,000 - 35,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 25,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

(I)-(II) Various spiritual phrases


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 57

FATEMA AL MAZROUIE
B. 1913
ARABIC KOHL (FROM THE HERITAGE COLLECTION SERIES)

acrylic and mixed media on wood

110 by 160cm.; 43 1/4 by 63in.


Executed in 2010.

ESTIMATE 3,000 - 5,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 4,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Salwa Zeidan Gallery, Abu Dhabi

EXHIBITION
Abu Dhabi, Emirates Heritage Club, Green Art Abu Dhabi, 2010

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

A poem on Arabic kohl by an Emirati poet


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 58

KHOLOUD SHARAFI
B. 1987
10:11:19

mixed media on fibreboard, in two parts

233 by 245cm.; 91 3/4 by 96 1/2 in.


Executed in 2010, this work is unique.

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Lyrics from a song by the Egyptian singer Umm Kulthoum


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 59

SHIRINE OSSEIRAN
B. 1977
(I) JAMEEL
(II) LAYLA
(III) SAFAR

Each: signed and dated 2010 twice on the reverse


acrylic on board, in three parts

Each: 42 by 33.2cm.; 16 1/2 by 13in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Various phrases
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 60

AISHA CAAN
B. 1959
ALLAH, THE PROVIDER

Right panel: signed and dated 2008


oil on canvas, in two parts

Each: 101.5 by 76cm.; 40 by 29 7/8 in.


Overall: 101.5 by 152cm.; 40 by 59 7/8 in.

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,250 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The words Allah, al Razaq (Allah, the Provider)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 61

CHARLES HOSSEIN ZENDEROUDI


B. 1937
SAHRAYE IRAN (THE IRANIAN DESERT)

signed twice and dated 78


acrylic on canvas

122 by 150cm.; 48 by 59in.

ESTIMATE 80,000 - 120,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 104,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 62

MOHAMMAD EHSAI
B. 1939
MOHABBAT (KINDNESS)

signed and dated 1386 AP/2007 AD


oil on canvas

146.9 by 147cm.; 57 3/4 by 57 7/8 in.

ESTIMATE 80,000 - 120,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 170,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner in 2008

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The word Mohabbat (Kindness)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 63

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF MOHAMMAD JAMALADINY

NASROLLAH AFJEI
B. 1933
UNTITLED

signed twice
ink on canvas

114.2 by 119cm.; 45 by 46 7/8 in.


Executed in 2008.

ESTIMATE 30,000 - 40,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 37,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

A couplet by the Persian poet Hafiz

Much like the celebrated naturalistic artist Sohrab Sepehri, Nasrollah Afjei sought inspiration from the world around
him. As a child he would go to the desert and paint the trees and the rolling landscapes, he would visit the sea and
try to capture the form of the waves; but unlike Sepehri he chose to express the world around through calligraphy.
The essential power of the earth and sea, the curve of the landscape and the freedom of the wind are all captured
in his dynamic and perspective driven works that form horizons and mountains with the word.

Afjei believes calligraphy is a universal language anyone can enjoy, much like the colour field artists of the 60s and
70s who stripped back landscapes into fields of colour, and created minimalist works to appeal to primal emotion
rather than drawing on recognition and association, Afjei utilises the word. Like an engineer, the angles in his script
are precisely thought out and he is constantly pushing his own boundaries through trial and experimentation.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 64

MOHAMMAD EHSAI
B. 1939
UNTITLED

signed and dated 1351 AP/1972 AD


oil on canvas

70 by 99.5cm.; 27 1/2 by 39 1/8 in.

ESTIMATE 70,000 - 100,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 98,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Aquired directly from the artist by the previous owner Private Collection, Iran (acquired directly from the above)

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 65

SADEQUAIN
1930 - 1987
SURAH AL-RAHMAN

signed and dated 1985


oil and ink on canvas

94.7 by 152cm.; 37 1/4 by 59 3/4 in.

ESTIMATE 60,000 - 80,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 31,250 USD
PROVENANCE
Collection of M.A. Khan (acquired directly from the artist)
Private Collection, London (acquired directly from the above by the present owner)

LITERATURE
Dr. Salman Ahmad, The Legend of Sadequain: Renaissance of Calligraphic Art in Pakistan, La Mesa 2010, p. 10,
illustrated in colour

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-rahman (LV), verse 19

'He has made the two seas to flow freely (so that) they meet together,
Between them is a barrier which they cannot pass.'

A master of calligraphy, Sadequain fast became one of Pakistan's most celebrated artists. This outstanding
example of his work illustrates his radical departure from established calligraphic norms.

Devoting the majority of his life to the art of the pen, Sadequain's unabashed departure from calligraphic tradition
and the generosity with which he distributed his works, led to his name being synonymous with calligraphy in
Pakistan and the Middle East. He was a legend in his own time and is single-handedly responsible for the
renaissance of Pakistani calligraphy.

Searching for a new manner of expression, Sadequain was the first, and ultimately the most famous Pakistani to
use calligraphy for both religious and artistic purposes. In a short period of time, he had made a huge impact on the
calligraphic world and ushered in what has been described as a calligraphic revolution. Inspiring a generation of
calligraphers by encouraging experimentation and innovation, in what had arguably become a stagnant art form.

In this exquisite work, the calligraphy and its aesthetic dominate the image, conveying the essential meaning of the
script without requiring translation. Even for those who cannot comprehend the inscription, the power and majesty
of the words is evident. Sadequain focused on preserving the mystical power of the letter and the concepts behind
the word, through visual representation.

Sadequain painted this work in 1985 as part of a series in which he separated the individual refrains of Surah al-
Rahman which he began in 1969. This particular painting is by far the most moving, and evokes the calm serenity
of the sea. Surah al-Rahman, The Beneficent, is the fifty-fifth surah of the Qur'an and is often described as 'the
beauty' of the Qur'an.

Here the artist chooses to illustrate verses nineteen and twenty, separating the two seas of dark blue and dusty
green with a forbidding barrier in white script framed in black, the calligraphy itself forms the "barrier which they
cannot pass". Inspired by the medieval Islamic script thuluth, Sadequain elongates the letters generally used in bold
inscriptions on facades of religious buildings, or in large copies of the Qur'an visually, calligraphically and
conceptually linking this work to its spiritual inspiration.

To this day Sadequain is highly respected for his skill, the way in which he enriched dry traditional forms with a
lyricism and artistry that is second to none and his influence on the generations of artists that followed his calling.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 66

GOHAR QALAM
B. 1956
SUPPLICATION OF RAHMA

signed and dated 2010


ink, gouache, silver and gold leaf on paper

96 by 60cm.; 37 3/4 by 23 5/8 in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 10,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah yusuf (XII), verse 64

'Allah is better at guarding and He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy.'

In this exquisite and poignant work, Gohar Qalam has combined a shaded green background with floating Arabic
calligraphy in a soaring lagoon.

In the backdrop of this painting the letters are lit with a delicate but radiant light and are composed in a circular
movement. The circle alludes not only to the movement around the Kaa'ba, but also the orbits of the planets, their
very shapes, which are also in a circular format.

The buoyant letters in a sea of blue and green also recall the Ocean of Infinity without a shore and also allude to the
last verse "Were the sea to become Ink..." of Surah Kahf. The background is in shades of blue and green with the
letters in pale pearlescent inks as if floating in their surroundings and thus creating a peaceful and magical effect of
a calm sea. In this composition, in green gold leaf, the Ha and Kha shapes are below the base line while the upright
Alif's lie above the base. The highlighting of the script with deep green edging to the gold leaf gives a three
dimensional feel to the work.

The inspiration of the painting is derived from several Verses of the Holy Quran, since Rahma or Divine Mercy is
sent down like water when it falls from the sky thus renewing the earth. The artist has been inspired from the
following Verses "And He it is Who from Water hath created Man" (Surah Al Furqan V 54) and "Have not the infidels
seen that the heavens and the earth were of one piece. Then We rifted them asunder and from Water made every
living thing. (Surah Anbiya V 30) and "He it is Who created the Heavens and the earth in six days and His Throne
was upon Water (Surah Hud, V 7).

More importantly the painting is directly inspired from the Immortal waters of Life specifically alluded in Surah Kahf
just before Moses meets the everlasting Khidr (the green robed one) when the cooked fish (meant for the lunch of
Moses and Joshua) suddenly became alive when the drops of the Waters of life fell on them and the fish swam to
the sea. Here the artist has combined the supplication of Rahma with the miraculous waters of Life. This
composition in monumental Thulth script demonstrates a downward movement since this is Rahma coming down.
Both the ideas of Tanzil (which comes down) and rain/water (which also come down) have been explored by the
great scholars of Islam in the past and alluded above.

In contemplating this particular painting one is reminded of the words of the late Dr Lings where in he stated " Blue
is the colour of the Infinite and identical with Mercy for " My Mercy embraceth all things (Surah VII, v 156).... Closely
related to Ar Rahman is the Name Al Muhit, the All Embracing and by extension the word Muhit also means Ocean.
As a symbol of Infinite Mercy, the sea is in fact second only to the sky itself whose colour it takes and
assimilates..... He states further; if "blue liberates by Infinitude, gold liberates because like the sun it is symbol of
the Spirit". As the colour of light gold is like yellow intrinsically a symbol of Knowledge. Blue in the presence of gold
is therefore Mercy inclined to Reveal itself."

Tajammul Hussain
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 67

TAJAMMUL
B. 1953
WERE THE SEA TO BECOME INK

signed, titled and dated 5th September 2010


ink, oil, silver leaf, gesso, malachite, lapiz and mixed media on canvas mounted on board

75.3 by 120.7cm.; 29 5/8 by 47 1/2 in.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 30,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 25,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-kahf (XVIII), verse 109

'Were the sea to become ink for the words of my Lord, surely the sea would be used up before the Words of my
Lord were exhausted, even if we added another ocean like it, thereof to aid.'

inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-kahf (XVIII), verse 109

'Were the sea to become ink for the words of my Lord, surely the sea would be used up before the Words of my
Lord were exhausted, even if we added another ocean like it, thereof to aid.'

When the Quran says "Were the sea to become Ink for the Words of my Lord, the sea would be used up before the
Words of my Lord were used up" it is saying that the symbol is not to be compared with that which it symbolizes,
namely the Mother of the Book, the Sea which is in fact vast enough to contain the Words of God. None the less, by
choosing the material seas rather than any other earthly thing for this demonstration, the Quran affirms that they
are, for the Infinitude of the Divine Wisdom, the symbol of symbols.

Far from being a concrete image arbitrarily chosen by man to illustrate some abstract idea: a symbol is, as we have
seen, the manifestation, in some lower mode, of the higher reality which it symbolises and which stands in as a
close relationship to it as the root of tree to leaf. Thus water is Mercy and it would be true to say that even without
any understanding of symbolism and even without belief in the Transcendent, immersion in water has an inevitable
effect upon the soul in addition to its purification of the water. In the absence of any ritual intention, this effect may
be altogether momentary and superficial; it is none the less visible on the face of almost any bather emerging from
a lake or a river or even the sea, however, quickly it may be effaced by the resumption of " ordinary life".

To perform the rite of ablution is to identify oneself in the world of matter, with this wave of Mercy, and to return with
it as it ebbs back towards the Principle, for purification is a return to our origins.

The Origin and end of this wave lies in the Treasuries (khazain) of the water which are "With Us "(Surah al furqan :
v. 21). The Treasuries of Mercy are also spoken of in just the same terms and it is clear that these Treasuries are
no less than the Supreme Source of Mercy Himself, Ar Rahman, the Infinitely Good. The Quran also speaks of its
own Archetype, the Mother of the Book, which is also the Divine Omniscience, nor can this Treasury be apart from
those of Mercy, for it likewise belongs to Ar Rahman who is the Source of the Book. The Infinitely Good taught the
Quran (Surah Rahman - the opening). We have already seen the connection between Mercy and comprehension;
and the Treasuries of Water comprise both these aspects of Ar Rahman for water is the symbol of Knowledge as
well as of Mercy. Al Ghazali remarks with regard to the verse "He sent down water from heaven, so that the valleys
are in flood with it, each according to its capacity (Surah Ar Raad v. 17). The commentaries tell us that the Water is
Gnosis and that the valleys are Hearts.

Aesthetically, the painting is inspired by the Japanese Zen paintings of the Edo period of Korin Ogata and Sakai
Hoitsu (1761 - 1828). Wave paintings were a favourite subject in the Edo period and were done in different styles by
the Kano, Maruyama and Rimpa schools. Hokusai 's famous "Great Wave" print is in part a summing of this
tradition.

Tajammul Hussain.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 68

KHALED AL-SAAI
B. 1970
EARTH 1

signed and dated 2005


oil on canvas

191.5 by 71.5cm.; 75 3/8 by 28 1/8 in.

ESTIMATE 12,000 - 15,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 17,500 USD
PROVENANCE
The Majlis Gallery, Dubai
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2007

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 69

ALIREZA KARAMI
B. 1949
UNTITLED

signed
oil on canvas

109.5 by 180cm.; 43 1/8 by 70 7/8 in.


Executed in 2008.

ESTIMATE 15,000 - 20,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 70

AHMED MOUSTAFA
B. 1943
THE NIGHT JOURNEY AND ASCENSION

Each: signed and dated 1429-31 AH/2008-10 AD twice


oil and watercolour on 638gsm cotton paper mounted on canvas, in two parts

240 by 297cm.; 94 1/2 by 116 7/8 in.

ESTIMATE 700,000 - 900,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 842,500 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-Isra (XVII), verse 1

"Limitless in His glory is He who transported His servant by night from the Inviolable House of Worship (at Mecca)
to the Remote House of Worship (at Jerusalem) the environs of which We had blessed so that We might show
Him some of Our symbols: for verily He alone is all-hearing, all-seeing."

This Qur'anic verse refers to the Prophet Muhammad's (p.b.u.h.) night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his
ascension from there to heaven where he was granted a vision of the Hereafter and of the secrets of Paradise and
Hell. The archetypal encounter with the divine realm, only hinted at in the words 'We might show Him some of Our
symbols', is the subject matter at the root of Ahmed Moustafa's diptych The Night Journey and Ascension. It
explains the power of the work in which a series of what appear like thunderbolts give rise to bundles of ascending
rays of iridescent colour that rise up to a world beyond the confines of the canvas.

The elements of composition ascend with unrestrained velocity as though engaged in an uncommon race on
account of a powerful force which attracts them to the heights a force that defies weight, size and quantity and to
which no earth-bound gravity applies. As gravity is nullified, time is reduced to a furtive moment in which all of Time
itself is contained. Complete chaos seems to arise and yet the viewer senses a hidden order at work which
harmonises the outpouring of opposing energies and unites them into a magic image of the Tree of Life 'a blessed
tree, an olive tree which is neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil is so bright that it almost shines though no
fire had touched it' (Qur'an, surah XXIV, verse 35).

The multiple moving forms which generate the composition consist in fact of repeated visual utterances of the
above cited Qur'anic verse which are scattered in different colours and sizes over the lower regions of the painting
and from whose letter-shapes emanate the upward charging rays. The varying guises in which the Qur'anic
utterance is displayed reflect a plurality of perspective inherent in the wording of the verse, as the divine speaker
refers to Himself, first as 'He', then as 'We' and lastly as 'He' once more. Displayed against a deep night-blue
background of seemingly limitless depth, the words appear as though discharged into the midst of interstellar
space.

The painting, however, appeals not only to the eye, but also to the ear. The utterances are displayed with such
rhythm, the upward moving streams of lines are so freely and harmoniously intertwined as though they formed part
of a polyphonic chorus of glorious praise. Musical sound is here made visible as it travels through space. In making
us aware of the link between hearing and sight, space and time, the composition evokes the closing statement of
the Qur'anic verse: 'verily He alone is all-hearing, all-seeing'. In its very grandeur the composition thus hints at a
reality which dwarfs it and all else, and is 'measureless to man'.

As summarised by the artist himself, the work strives to give expression to a heavenly, angelic celebration, in which
visible forms assume the role of sounds, in which meanings assume the hue of colours, while all is imbued with the
scent of camphor and musk, and engulfed with a sprinkling of the dew of eternal life in which there is no 'where' and
'in between', and in which absolute goodness reigns supreme.

Dr. Stefan Sperl

Senior Lecturer in Arabic


School of Oriental and African Studies
London
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 71

LEVENT KARADUMAN
B. 1978
UNTITLED

signed and dated 1431 AH/2010 AD


ink on paper

150 by 270cm.; 59 by 106 1/4in.

ESTIMATE 30,000 - 40,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 47,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Description of the physical attributes of the Prophet Muhammad, surrounded by the repetition of the word Huwa
(He)
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 72

ALI ADJALLI
B. 1939
UNTITLED

signed and dated 1424/1382 AH/AP/2003 AD four times


acrylic on canvas

149.7 by 199.5cm.; 58 3/4 by 78 1/2 in.

ESTIMATE 15,000 - 20,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 18,750 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 73

VASEEM
B. 1966
THE WRECKAGE

stamped with the artist's monogram; signed, titled, dated 2004 and inscribed
mixed media on canvas

71.5 by 55.5cm.; 27 1/8 by 21 7/8 in.

ESTIMATE 4,500 - 5,500 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,625 USD
PROVENANCE
Mica Gallery, London

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

The phrase Rabbi yassir bi-al khayri wa-la-tu'assor (Oh Lord, make it easy for me to choose the righteous path)
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 74

POOYA ARYANPOUR
B. 1971
UNTITLED

signed and dated 1387 AP/2008 AD; signed and dated 2008 on the reverse
acrylic on canvas

150 by 200cm.; 59 by 78 3/4 in.

ESTIMATE 10,000 - 15,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2008

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 75

FARAMARZ PILARAM
1937-1982
SACRE

signed twice and dated 71; signed on the reverse


oil on canvas

49 by 69.5cm.; 19 1/4 by 27 3/8 in.

ESTIMATE 10,000 - 15,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Galerie Guiot, Paris
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner circa 1973

LITERATURE
Exhibition Catalogue, Paris, Galerie Guiot, 6 Peintres Contemporain Iranien, 1973, no. 51, illustrated in colour

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 76

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF MOHAMMAD JAMALADINY

AZRA AGHIGHI BAKHSHAYESHI


UNTITLED

oil and pen on canvas

100 by 203cm.; 39 3/8 by 79 7/8 in.


Executed in 2008.

ESTIMATE 10,000 - 15,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 20,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-qalam (LXVIII), verse 51 to 52:

'And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes through hatredness when they hear
the Reminder [the Qur'an], and they say: "Verily, He (Muhammad) is a madman!". But it is nothing else than a
Reminder to all the 'Alamin [mankind, jinns and all that exists].'
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 77

WISSAM SHAWKAT
B. 1974
AL ARD WATANI, WA AL INSAANIYA USRATI - KHALIL GIBRAN (EARTH IS MY HOMELAND, AND HUMANITY
IS MY FAMILY - KHALIL GIBRAN)

signed and dated 2010


ink and acrylic on paper

100.5 by 70.5cm.; 39 1/2 by 27 3/4 in.

ESTIMATE 7,000 - 10,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 8,750 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

A couplet by the Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 78

GOLNAZ FATHI
B. 1972
UNTITLED

(I)-(III) signed and dated 2009


acrylic, gold leaf and pencil on canvas, in three parts

Overall: 118.5 by 237cm.; 46 5/8 by 93 1/4 in.

ESTIMATE 15,000 - 20,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 30,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 79

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF MOHAMMAD JAMALADINY

NASROLLAH AFJEI
B. 1933
UNTITLED

signed
oil on canvas

98 by 200cm.; 38 1/2 by 78 3/4 in.


Executed in 2008.

ESTIMATE 60,000 - 80,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 74,500 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-qalam (LXVIII), verse 51 to 52:

'And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes through hatredness when they hear
the Reminder [the Qur'an], and they say: "Verily, He (Muhammad) is a madman!". But it is nothing else than a
Reminder to all the 'Alamin [mankind, jinns and all that exists].'
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 80

REZA MAFI
1943-1982
UNTITLED

signed twice and dated 1979


oil on canvas

75 by 205cm.; 29 1/2 by 80 3/4 in.

ESTIMATE 15,000 - 20,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 18,750 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Stylised script
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 81

MOHAMED ZAKARIYA
B. 1942
THERE IS NO DIVINITY EXCEPT GOD

signed and dated 1423 AH/2003 AD


ink, gold and gouache on paper

52.5 by 95cm.; 20 5/8 by 37 3/8 in.

ESTIMATE 12,000 - 15,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Linearis Institute, California (acquired directly from the artist)

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Allah huwa, La ilaha ill Allah Muhamad-ur Rasul Allah (He is God, there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his
Prophet)

"Because calligraphy isn't bound by the need to represent objective reality, it's free from the cultural and political
constraints associated with the pictorial arts. This sets the calligrapher free and, at the same time, adds new
constraints. This constant tension between constraint, tradition, and standards makes Islamic calligraphy neither a
representational art nor an abstract one but something entirely othera living, evolving art of the word, of meaning
itself."

Mohamed Zakariya

There In No Divinity Except God is a rare and important example of a contemporary calligraphic master
working in time-honoured style.

Following a visit to the Middle East as a teenager, the American Mohammed Zakariya became fascinated with
middle-eastern culture and is today recognised as one of the greatest living masters of traditional calligraphy and
the preeminent ambassador of the Arabic script to the United States. He is also the first western calligrapher to be
awarded two licenses in calligraphy from the Istanbul Research Centre for Islamic Art, History and Culture, one of
the most highly regarded institutions of its type in the Islamic world.

Zakariya's fine hand has been developed in the long-established tradition of practise, scholarship and
apprenticeship. Engaging the various styles of calligraphy found across the region, Zakariya's dedication to
calligraphic institution can be seen throughout his oeuvre. In There Is No Divinity Except God the calligrapher
exhibits his mastering of calligraphy in the perfect geometry and proportions of his letter forms, the customary
illumination that he produces himself and to great effect by creating different impressions of colour, texture and
richness, and even marbling his own paper in the manner of the Turkish ebru tradition.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 82

PROF. NASSAR MANSOUR


B. 1967
AYAT AL-KURSI

signed and dated 1431 AH/2010 AD; titled and dated 2010 on a label affixed to the reverse
ink, gouache and gold on paper mounted on board

195 by 72cm.; 76 3/4 by 29 3/8 in.

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 30,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 25,000 USD
PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription:

Qu'ran, surah al-baqarah (II), verse 255 (ayat al-kursi)

This unique calligraphic panel by the renowned artist and calligrapher Professor Nassar Mansour, presents the Ayat
al-Kursi from Surah al-Baqarah and epitomises the monumental muhaqqaq script initiated by the calligraphy of the
so-called 'Baysunghur' Qur'an of the early 15th century.

This vast Qur'an, associated with the Timurid prince Baysunghur Ibn Sharukh, himself a great bibliophile and
calligrapher, was copied in seven lines on enormous sheets of paper measuring about 177 by 101cm. The script
used in the manuscript is a confident and impressive muhaqqaq which is notable for its 'sword-like' descending waw
and ra' letters, as well as the meticulous execution of the letter alif, and its overall well-balanced proportions.

The Ayat al-Kursi or Throne Verse (Surah Baqarah V 255) is not only recited often by the Muslims but is a symbol
of protection in the Islamic world - either worn as an amulet or as a print or painting in Muslim houses. The nearest
analogy in the Western world would be the crucifix which is either worn or its image hung in Christian houses.

In this work, Mansour utilizes the muhaqqaq script. Amongst the cursive scripts this is the grandest and was
favoured in the Eastern Islamic world for inscribing Qur'anic manuscripts when it was replaced by a smaller script
known as naskh by the Ottomans. This is the first time that muhaqqaq has been used since the 16th century and it
is the hope of the artist to revive this script to its full glory. More specifically, the work is in jalil al-muhaqqaq script. It
is the first time in four hundred years after the Ottoman master, Ahmad Karahisari (d. 1556) and his loyal pupil
Hasan Chalabi (d. 1594) last used it in their work.

The alternate usage of brown ink bounded with gold and crushed gold outlined with brown ink is clearly inspired
from the famous Il Khanid Mushaf inscribed for the Sultan Uljeitu by the great Ahmed as Suharwardy in the early
14th century. The illumination is made on the style of the famous Mamluk illuminator Muhammad ibn Mubadir who
was commissioned by Sultan Baybars in the late 13th century. Where Mubadir used two shades of colour in his
outer border to fill in the floral petals, in this painting only one shade of blue has been used. The braided pattern
surrounding this panel of the Ayat al-Kursi is clearly inspired by a verse from the Quran which states "Hold fast to
the Rope of Allah" (Surah III: 104-105). The outer scrolling floral border which is gilded lavishly recalls the Verse of
Light (Surah Nur: v. 35) reaching the hearts.

Professor Nassar Mansour and Tajammul Hussain.


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 83

TUNGKU ISMA'IL
A CALLIGRAPHIC EMBROIDERED TEXTILE PANEL IN SQUARE KUFIC SCRIPT

20th Century
gold thread on cotton

98 by 94cm.; 38 1/2 by 37in. approx.


Kelanton, Malaysia

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 7,500 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-baqarah (II), verse 255 (ayat al-kursi)

The present textile was designed by Tungku Isma'il, a prince of the Kelanton Royal Family of North Malaysia. He
can be credited with saving the failing 'songkit' weaving industry of Terengganu and Kelanton. He provided lessons
and material to the women weavers of the two states to re-start the hand loom industry. In the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, the main centre of songkit weaving was in Palemband in Sumatra, in which the finest pieces
employed the use of gold thread. The present piece was commissioned by the prince as an exercise for the
Kelantanese and Terengganu weavers.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 84

ILAHI BAKHSH MUTI'


A CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL IN SQUARE KUFIC SCRIPT

signed and dated 1429 AH/2008 AD


Ink, Gouache and gold on Paper

70 by 70cm.; 27 1/2 by 27 1/2 in.


Pakistan

ESTIMATE 8,000 - 12,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 11,250 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, the whole of surah al-nas (CXIV)

One of Pakistan's foremost calligraphers, Ilahi Bukhsh Muti' was born in 1953 and studied calligraphy under Syed
Anwer Husain Nafees Raqam. He has received a number of awards for his work, including first prize in the 1998
All-Pakistan Exhibition of Calligraphy, Islamabad; second prize for calligraphy in the International Competition for
Painting and Calligraphy, Iran, 1989; and the Special Prize for Khat-e-Naskh, from the Punjab Arts Council, Lahore,
in 1999. Muti's work exists in numerous collections across the globe, including the British Museum, the Museum of
Art, Dubai, and the National Art Gallery in Islamabad.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 85

YUSUF CHEN JINHUI


A LARGE CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL

signed, circa 1990


Ink on rice Paper

68.5 by 128cm.; 27 by 50 3/8 in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The Bismillah
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 86

YUSUF CHEN JINHUI


A LARGE CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL

Circa 1990
Ink on rice Paper

128 by 68.5cm.; 50 3/8 by 27in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The word Allah

China's most renowed Islamic calligrapher, Yusuf Chen Jinhui (b.1938), has exhibited across the globe and his
work can be found as part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Asian Civilizations in Singapore. Numerous
works were also displayed in Dubai (2003), Islamabad (2000), Tehran (1999), Istanbul (at the IRCICA in 1997) and
in Kuala Lumpur (1996). For a further discussion of the artist and his work, please see Selected Arabic Calligraphic
Works of Chen Jinhui, Beijing, 2002.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 87

YUSUF CHEN JINHUI


A LARGE CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL

signed, circa 1990


Ink on Rice Paper

131 by 68.5cm.; 51 1/2 by 27in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 6,250 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The Bismillah
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 88

YUSUF CHEN JINHUI


A LARGE CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL

signed, circa 1990


Ink on Rice Paper

131 by 68.5cm.; 51 1/2 by 27in.

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 8,125 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Allah wali al-tawfiq

'God is the guardian of success'


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 89

A DECCANI CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION


16th/17th century
Ink, gouache and Gold on Paper

34 by 22cm.; 13 3/8 by 8 5/8 in.


India

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 10,625 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The top band: the Bismillah

The centre: the Bismillah in mirror form

The lower band: a saying of Imam 'Ali in praise of good hand writing
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 90

ARIF KILANI
A GOLD CALLIGRAPHIC SHAMSA

signed and dated 1428 AH/2007 AD


Gold and ink on paper

73.2 by 46.8cm.; 28 3/4 by 18 3/8 in.


Iran

ESTIMATE 7,000 - 10,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 20,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

On top: The Bismillah

Underneath: the word Allah

Around the central roundel: repeat of 'Muhammad is the Messenger of God'

In the wide lower band: Qur'an surah al-saff (LXI), verse 9:

'He it is who has sent forth His Apostle with [the task of] spreading guidance and the religion of truth, to the end that
He make it prevail over all [false] religion, however hateful this may be to those who ascribe divinity to aught but
God'
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 91

ASCRIBED TO SHEIKH ABDÜLAZIZ


AN ARABIC CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL IN THULUTH SCRIPT

signed and dated [1]314 AH/1896 AD


67 by 34cm.; 26 3/8 by 13 3/8 in.
Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 2,000 - 3,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 3,500 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an surah al-qalam (LXVIII), verse 4:

wa innaka la'la khalaq 'azim

'Verily you are the most exalted of character'


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 92

A MIRROR-FORM CALLIGRAPHY
20th century
73 by 67.2cm.; 28 3/4 by 26 1/2 in.
Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

'Those who restore the mosques of Allah are the beloved of Allah.'

The present work is a copy of an epigraphic work in stone by Hamid Aytac which adorns the main entrance of the
Sisli mosque in Istanbul. A reduced version of Aytac's work can be found in M.U. Derman, Eternal Letters, Sharjah,
2009, p.307, pl.69a.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 93

HASAN CELEBI
B. 1937
UNTITLED

signed and dated 1419 AH/1999 AD


ink and gold paint on board

168 by 110cm; 66 1/8 by 43 1/4 in.

ESTIMATE 30,000 - 40,000 USD


PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

CATALOGUE NOTE
The Bismillah and names of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs in Thuluth script.

In the central roundel (the 'crescent'): Visual attributes of the Prophet Muhammad reported from his son-in-law 'Ali
in Naskh script.

Beneath (the 'head'), in Thuluth Script: 'You were only sent as grace to the worlds'.

In the lower register (the 'skirt'): Prayers and colophon.


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 94

A CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL IN GHUBARI SCRIPT


Circa 1900
ink on paper

54 by 74cm.; 29 1/8 by 21 1/4 in.


Ottoman Turkey or Syria

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Top cartouche: The Bismillah

Left cartouche: Muhammad

Right cartouche: Allah

Throughout, in Ghubari script:

Qur'an, surah al-fatiha (I) followed by surah al-hijr (XV) to surah al-anbiya' (XXI)
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 95

MUHAMMAD SHAWQI EFENDI


AN ILLUMINATED CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL

signed and dated 1284 AH/1867 AD


Ink, Gouache and Gold on Paper

52 by 48cm.; 20 1/2 by 18 7/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The names:

Allah, Muhammad, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Husayn and Fatimah
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 96

SCHOOL OF MEHMED NURI SIVASI


A MIRROR-FORM CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL IN GHUBARI AND THULUTH SCRIPTS

late 19th/early 20th century


ink on paper

64.5 by 81.5cm.; 25 3/8 by 32 1/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey or Syria

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

huwa al-hayya al-qayyum

'He is the everlasting'

In white Ghubari script:

Qur'an, surah al-fatiha (I), followed by surah al-ankabut (XXIX) to surah al-zukhruf (XLIII)
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 97

AL-SAYYID AHMAD IBN ALI


A CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION FORMING THE NAMES 'MUHAMMAD' OR 'MAHMUD'

signed and dated 1270 AH/1873 AD


ink, gouache and gold on paper

34 by 33cm.; 13 3/8 by 13in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 3,000 - 5,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 8,750 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Within the outer crescents: surah al-fath (XLVIII)

Within the words Muhammad/Mahmud: surah ya-sin (XXXVI)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 98

ASCRIBED TO ABDULLAH FAZA' ILI


A MICROGRAPHIC LION-FORM CALLIGRAPHY

signed and dated 1311 AH/1893 AD


ink on paper

43 by 58cm.; 16 7/8 by 22 3/4 in.


Qajar Iran

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 10,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The Nada 'Ali quatrain

In Ghubari script: Prayers


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 99

ASCRIBED TO ALI SUHRAWARDI


A MICROGRAPHIC PEACOCK-FORM CALLIGRAPHY

signed and dated 1317 AH/1899 AD


Ink and gold on Paper

61 by 35cm.; 24 by 13 3/4 in.


Qajar Iran

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

In Ghubari script: Prayers


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 100

ASCRIBED TO MUHAMMAD IBN ALI KAZIMI


A MICROGRAPHIC GIRAFFE-FORM CALLIGRAPHY

signed and dated 1317 AH/1899 AD


Ink and gold on Paper

47 by 53.8cm.; 18 1/2 by 21 1/8 in.


Qajar Iran

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

In Ghubari script: Prayers


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 101

ASCRIBED TO ABDULLAH IBN AHMAD


A MICROGRAPHIC BIRD-FORM CALLIGRAPHY

signed and dated 1311 AH/1893-4 AD


ink on paper

72.5 by 50cm.; 28 1/2 by 19 3/4 in.


Qajar Iran

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

In the top roundel: Allah

The polychrome bird form comprising the Bismillah

In Ghubari script: Prayers


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 102

BARAKATZADA JAMAL AL-DIN


AN ARABIC CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL IN TA'LIQ SCRIPT

signed and dated 1308 AH/1890 AD


gold on paper

33 by 118cm.; 13 by 46 1/2 in.


Turkey or Syria

ESTIMATE 2,000 - 3,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 4,250 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Hadith:

inna allah tuhibu an yara athara ni'matihi ala 'abdihi

'God likes to see the manifestion of His bounty displayed by His servant.'
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 103

AFTER 'IMAD AL-HASANI


AN ILLUMINATED CALLIGRAPHY IN NASTA'LIQ SCRIPT

signed, circa 1900


gouache and gold on paper

37 by 29cm.; 14 1/2 by 11 3/8 in.


Iran

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, the whole of surah al-fatihah (I)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 104

AN ILLUMINATED CALLIGRAPHIC SCROLL


Dated 1305 AH/1887 AD
Ink, gouache and gold on Paper

8.7 by 200cm.; 3 3/8 by 78 3/4 in.


India

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 20,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Various different micrographic forms of the Bismillah and the Prophet's family.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 105

AN ILLUMINATED SCROLL-FORM QUR'AN IN GHUBARI SCRIPT


circa 1900
Ink, Gouache and Gold on Paper

18.5 by 970cm.; 7 1/4 by 381 7/8 in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 8,000 - 12,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 10,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, with selected hadith, the Ninety-Nine Names of God (asma al-husna) and the names of the Rightly-Guided
Caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and 'Ali.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 106

AN ILLUMINATED CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL IN NASTA`LIQ SCRIPT


circa 1700
Gold and Gouache on Paper

13.2 by 39.2cm.; 5 1/4 by 15 3/8in.


Iran

ESTIMATE 8,000 - 12,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

A verse from a Persian qasida :

in manzar-e farkhondeh o in kakh-e mushayyad

'This prosperous scene and this high-raised palace'


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 107

AN ILLUMINATED CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL


circa 1900
gouache and gold on paper

70.5 by 46cm.; 27 3/4 by 18 1/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey or Iran

ESTIMATE 3,000 - 5,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 3,750 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-naml (XXVII), verse 30:

Innahu min sulaymana wa innahu bismi Allahi al-rahmani al-rahimi

'Behold, it is from Solomon, and it says, "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace"'
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 108

ATTRIBUTED TO MUHAMMAD HUSAYN


A LARGE PAGE OF DÉCOUPAGE CALLIGRAPHY

19th century
Ink, gouache and Gold with paper cut-outs

63.5 by 47.5cm.; 25 by 18 5/8 in.


Qajar Iran

ESTIMATE 8,000 - 12,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 10,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Including the name of the Qajar ruler Nasr Al-Din Shah (r.1848-96)

This beautiful and finely executed calligraphy is composed of coloured and gold paper cut-outs in the form of both
Thuluth script and intricate floral decoration consisting of sprinkled flowers and leafy sprays. The high quality of the
work and presence of the Persian king Nasr Al-Din Shah's name suggest that this particular piece is likely to have
been made on royal commission.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 109

HAMID AYTAC
A MONUMENTAL ILLUMINATED HILYE

signed 'Azmi Hamid al-Amidi (Hamid Aytac), 20th century


Ink, Gouache and Gold on Paper

152 by 113.5cm.; 59 3/4 by 44 5/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 80,000 - 120,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The Bismillah and names of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs in Thuluth script.

In the central roundel (the 'crescent'): Visual attributes of the Prophet Muhammad reported from his son-in-law 'Ali
in Naskh script.

Beneath (the 'head'), in Thuluth Script: 'You were only sent as grace to the worlds'.

In the lower register (the 'skirt'): Prayers and colophon.

Although difficult to define in exact terms, the Hilye can be summarised as a 'description' of the Prophet
Muhammad, in that it entails both physical characteristics as well as referring to his temperament and behaviour. In
the absence of any images of the Prophet, his description according to 'Ali Ibn 'Ali Talib (his son-in-law and
nephew) is generally regarded as the most authentic, providing a powerful 'verbal image'. Thus most Hilyes take
'Ali's description as their basis.

Hamid Aytac, who occasionally signed his works Hamid Al-Amidi (as in this instance), was born in Diyarbakir in
1891, and took up calligraphy at a very young age. He was a prolific calligrapher throughout his long life and is best
known for his work in Jali Thuluth script, his proficiency in which he attributed to the stencils prepared by Sami
Efendi for the inscriptions on the fountain of Yeni Cami. A number of mosques in Turkey are adorned with his works
including the Sisli mosque in Istanbul, and the inscriptions within the domes of the Eyüb Sultan and Findikli Molla
Celebi mosques. Hamid Aytac died in 1982 and is buried in the Karacaahmed cemetery. Please see lot 93 for a
contemporary Hilye by Hasan Celebi, one of Hamid Aytac's students.

Four further works by Hamid Aytac are in the Collection of Abdul Rahman Al-Owais, and published in M.U. Derman,
Eternal Letters, Sharjah, 2009, pp.304-311, pls.69-69c.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 110

HAFIZ TAHSIN AL-HELMI


AN ILLUMINATED HILYE DEPICTING THE PROPHET'S TOMB

signed and dated 1303 AH/1885 AD


59.5 by 32cm.; 23 3/8 by 12 1/2 in.
Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 7,500 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The Bismillah and names of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs in Thuluth script.

In the central roundel (the 'crescent'): Visual attributes of the Prophet Muhammad reported from his son-in-law 'Ali
in Naskh script.

Beneath (the 'head'), in Thuluth Script: 'You were only sent as grace to the worlds'.

In the lower register (the 'skirt'): Prayers and colophon.

The painting in this Hilye is signed by 'Haqqi', and also dated 1303 AH/1885 AD.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 111

HUSAYN BIN AHMAD


AN ILLUMINATED HILYE

signed, circa 1900


gouache, ink and gold on paper

56 by 51.5cm.; 22 by 20 1/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 8,000 - 10,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

The Bismillah and names of the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs in Thuluth script.

In the central roundel (the 'crescent'): Visual attributes of the Prophet Muhammad reported from his son-in-law 'Ali
in Naskh script.

Beneath (the 'head'), in Thuluth Script: 'You were only sent as grace to the worlds'.

In the lower register (the 'skirt'): Prayers and colophon.

The scribe Husayn Bin Ahmad may well be the Turkish calligrapher Huseyin bin Ahmed Zeynizade.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 112

ASMA AL-HUSNA 'THE NINETY-NINE NAMES OF GOD' IN SCROLL FORM


20th century
Ink on Paper

15 by 856 cm.; 5 7/8 by 337in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 11,250 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

In stylised silver Kufic script:

asma al-husna

'The ninety-nine names of God'

Within roundels in Ghubari script: Qur'an


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 113

AN ILLUMINATED SCROLL-FORM QUR'AN IN GHUBARI SCRIPT


20th century
Ink and Gold on Paper

13.5 by 450cm.; 5 1/4 by 177 1/8 in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 7,500 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

In micrographic Ghubari script:

Qur'an, forming within it in stylised Kufic script:

asma al-husna, the 'Ninety-Nine Names of God'


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 114

AN ILLUMINATED SCROLL-FORM QUR'AN IN GHUBARI SCRIPT


20th century
Ink on Paper

12 by 750cm.; 4 3/4 by 295 1/8 in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

In micrographic Ghubari script:

Qur'an, forming the Ninety-Nine Names of God (asma al-husna)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 115

ASMA AL-HUSNA 'THE NINETY-NINE NAMES OF GOD' IN SCROLL FORM


20th century
Ink and gold on paper

12 by 724.5cm.; 4 3/4 by 285 1/8 in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 7,500 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

In stylised Kufic script:

asma al-husna

'The ninety-nine names of God'


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 116

A LARGE ILKHANID-STYLE ILLUMINATED CALLIGRAPHY IN RAYHAN SCRIPT


20th century
gouache and gold on paper

60 by 42.5cm; 23 5/8 by 16 3/4 in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-jinn (LXXII), verses 1 to 12


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 117

A MAMLUK-STYLE ILLUMINATED DOUBLE-PAGE FRONTISPIECE


20th century
gouache, ink and gold on paper

55.5 by 87cm.; 21 7/8 by 34 1/4 in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-fatiha (I) and surah al-baqarah (II), verses 1 to beginning of 5
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 118

A MAMLUK-STYLE ILLUMINATED CALLIGRAPHY


20th century
Ink, gouache and gold on paper

38 by 28.2cm.; 15 by 11 1/8 in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surat al-baqarah (II), verse 253


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 119

AN ILLUMINATED DOUBLE-PAGE FRONTISPIECE


20th century
ink, gouache and gold on paper

74 by 90cm.; 29 1/8 by 35 3/8in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-fatiha (I) and surah al-baqarah (II), verses 1 to part of 4
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 120

AN ILLUMINATED DOUBLE-PAGE FRONTISPIECE


20th century
gouache and gold on paper

74 by 90cm.; 29 1/8 by 35 3/8 in.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, the whole of surah al-fatiha (I)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 121

SABRI
AN EMBROIDERED CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL

Signed and Dated1304 AD/1886 AD


Silk and Metal Thread

33 by 83cm.; 13 by 32 5/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Allah wali al-tawfiq

'God is the guardian of success'


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 122

AN EMBROIDERED CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL


dated 1304 AH/1886 AD
Silk, Metal thread and velvet

53.3 by 62.5cm.; 21 1/8 by 24 5/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah ya-sin (XXXVI), verse 9:

'And we have made before them a barrier and a barrier behind them, then we have covered them over so that they
do not see.'

The calligraphy of the present piece is reminiscent of the hand of Sultan Mahmud II (r.1808-39).
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 123

ABD AL-QADIR
A PANEL OF DÉCOUPAGE CALLIGRAPHY

signed, circa 1900


Paper

54.5 by 102.5cm.; 21 1/2 by 40 3/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 6,250 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

'Almighty God, you are the Lord of our hearts so stabilise my heart in your religion, your love and the love of your
prophet.'
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 124

ATTRIBUTED TO MUHAMMAD HASHIM AL-BAGHDADI


A PEAR-FORM DÉCOUPAGE CALLIGRAPHY

circa 1966
116.5 by 89cm.; 45 7/8 by 35in.
Baghdad, Iraq

ESTIMATE 6,000 - 8,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 7,500 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Within the pear: Qur'an, surah al-fath (XLVIII), parts of verses 28 and 29.

Within the leaves: A prayer and the Bismillah.


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 125

AL-SAYYID MUHAMMAD BAHIR


A CONCERTINA FORM ASMA AL-HUSNA

signed and dated 1276 AH/1859 AD


Ink and Gold on paper

Together: 23.6 by 69.5cm.; 9 1/4 by 27 3/8 in.; inner panels: 18.3 by 12cm.; 7 1/4 by 4 3/4 in.
Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 50,000 - 70,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 104,500 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

asma al-husna '

The Ninety-Nine Names of God'

Al-Sayyid Muhammad Bahir Bey (1790-1865)

Al-Sayyid Muhammad Bahir Bey studied calligraphy under the supervision of Chief-judge (Qadi-asker) and Qadi of
Mecca Abdulkadir Bey (d.1845), son of Rumeli Qadi-asker Emin Bey, and grand-son of Grand-vizier Yaglikchi-
zadeh Mehmed Emin Pasha. Appointed chief calligraphy tutor to the Topkapi Palace, Muhammad Bahir Bey also
taught calligraphy, on Thursdays, in his mansion in the district of Molla Gurani, Istanbul. He taught in the Palace on
Mondays.

It has been noted that he had more than two hundred pupils, both from the palace and in various districts of the city.
Known as the Sheikh al-Khattatin (Master of Calligraphers) of his day, he was most concerned with the quality of
the ink and paper he used. Muhammad Bahir Bey was a member of the "Mawlawiyya" sufi order, and died in 1865.
He is buried in the Kashghari Dervish-Lodge in the district of Eyub, Istanbul.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 126

MUHAMMAD HASHIM
A PANEL OF ILLUMINATED CALLIGRAPHY

signed and dated 1208 AH/1793 AD


Ink, Gouache and Gold on Paper

central panel: 10.2 by 14.5cm.; 4 by 5 3/4 in.; leaf: 15.5 by 19.8cm.; 6 1/8 by 7 7/8 in.
Qajar Iran

ESTIMATE 3,000 - 5,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 4,000 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, the whole of surah al-ikhlas (CXII)

Muhammad Hashim is most probably Muhammad Hashim Isfahani, a Persian Naskh scribe of the late eighteenth-
early nineteenth century.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 127

A PANEL OF CALLIGRAPHY IN NASKH SCRIPT


signed, 16/17th century
Ink on Paper

22.5 by 32.6cm.; 8 7/8 by 12 3/4 in.


India

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-isra (XVII), part of verse 84

In the borders: Persian verses


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 128

MIR HUSAYN AL-HUSAYNI


AN ILLUSTRATED AND ILLUMINATED QUATRAIN

signed, 16th century with 19th century margins


Ink, Gouache and Gold on Paper

central panel: 14 by 7.5cm.; 5 1/2 by 29 1/2 in.; leaf: 33 by 22.8cm.; 13 by 9in.


Iran

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

'Your face is like a moon that illuminates all courtly homes.


When angels look upon your face they are like moths hovering around the candle of your beauty.
The fire of your absence has nurtured our souls in such a way that all other nurtured souls become moths that
hover around our candles.'

The present scribe could be Husayn al-Husayni known as Mir Kulangi, a pupil of the famous Mir 'Ali al-Harawi. He
worked as a librarian at the Royal Court of 'Abdallah II, in Bukhara and often signed as al-Sultani. He had a long
working life and his recorded works are dated between 922 AH/1516-17 AD and 983 AH/1575-6 AD, many copied
in Bukhara (see Mehdi Bayani, ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vol. I, Tehran, 1345 sh., pp.164-6). An album page
incorporating a panel of calligraphy by Mir Kulangi was sold in Sotheby's London, 6 October 2010, lot 56.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 129

A SILK AND METAL THREAD CALLIGRAPHIC BAND (HIZAM)


Dated 1311 AH/1893 AD
Silk and Metal Thread

83 by 825cm.; 32 5/8 by 324in.

ESTIMATE 60,000 - 80,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 62,500 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Main text: Qur'an, surah al-baqara (II), verses 127 and 128

Roundel on the right: Qur'an, surah al-ikhlas (CXII)

Roundel on the left: Invocations to God

Inscription in the form of a teardrop: 'His Excellency, our Lord 'Abbas Hilmi, the Protected Egypt, the year 1311'

This inscription indicates that the Hizam was made in Egypt during the reign of 'Abbas Hilmi, the last Khedive of
Egypt, in 1311 AH/1893 AD.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 130

AN IMPORTANT EXTERNAL CURTAIN (BURQA) OF THE HOLY KA'BA DOOR DEDICATED TO SULTAN ABD AL-
MAJID (R.1839-61)
dated 1263 AH/1846-7 AD
silk with applied silver and silver-gilt thread

530 by 270cm; 208 3/4 by 106 1/4in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 200,000 - 300,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 362,500 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

In the cartouche above the pointed arch:

amara bi-'amal hadhi al-burdah al-sharifah mawlana al-sultan al-maghazi 'abd al-majid khan khallada allah
khilafatihi sana 1263

'This noble curtain was ordered to be made by our Lord, the one of military virtues, Sultan 'Abd al-Majid, may his
caliphate be everlasting, the year 1263 AH/1846-7 AD'.

In the small pale roundels in the borders: Repetition of: allahu rabbi 'God is my Lord' and allahu hasbi 'God suffices
me'.

In the eight long black cartouches on the side borders: Qur'an, surah al-fatihah (I).

In the top two long black cartouches, the two large roundels and round the opening arch: Qur'an, surah al-ilkhlas
(CXII).

In the single black cartouche on top: Qur'an, surah al-naml (XXVII), verse 30 and surah al-isra (XVII), verse 80.

In the four lozenge-shaped cartouches: The Bismillah in mirror form.

In the wide pale band: Qur'an, surah al-fath (XLVIII), part of verse 27.

In the four black cartouches above and below the wide band: Qur'an, surah al-baqara (II), verse 255 (ayat al-kursi).

In the two black cartouches next to the top of the arch: Qur'an, surah quraysh (CVI).

In the six cartouches on the sides of the opening: Repetition of two different shahadah.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 131

FOUR RICE AND WHEAT GRAIN MICRO-CALLIGRAPHIES


one grain dated 1342 AH/1923
ink on three rice grains and one wheat grain

0.5cm.; 1/4 in. approx.


Probably Syria

ESTIMATE 1,500 - 2,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 1,875 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Each inscribed with Qur'an, the whole of surah al-Ikhlas (CXII)


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 132

MUHAMMAD IBN SALIM AL-DIMASHQI


A MINIATURE QUR'AN IN GHUBARI SCRIPT

signed and dated 1203 AH/1788 AD


ink and gold on paper

3.7 by 2.7cm.; 1 1/2 by 1 1/8 in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 20,000 - 30,000 USD


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 133

A SILVER AND GILT-METAL THREAD EMBROIDERED CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL


20th century
Silk and Metal Thread

86 by 72cm.; 33 7/8 by 28 3/8 in.

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, the whole of surah al-ikhlas (CXII)

This metal thread embroidered panel, comprising the whole of the Qur'an's hundred and twelfth surah, is a fragment
originating from the kiswa cloth that covers the holy Ka'ba at Mecca. Once made in Egypt and brought to Mecca on
the mahmal pilgrimage, the kiswa cloth is now manufactured in Saudi Arabia. Traditionally, the kiswa is cut up each
year and distributed amongst honoured pilgrims.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 134

TWO LARGE ILLUMINATED MAMLUK QUR'AN LEAVES


14th century
Ink and Gold on Paper

43 by 31cm.; 16 7/8 by 12 1/4 in.; 43 by 29cm.; 16 7/8 by 11 3/8 in.


Egypt or Syria

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 6,875 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Illustrated leaf: Qur'an, the whole of surah al-tauuba (X)

Other leaf: surah taha (XX), verses 10 to 58


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 135

TWO OTTOMAN QUR'AN LEAVES


15th century
Ink and gold on paper

33 by 49.5cm.; 13 by 19 1/2 in.


Ottoman Turkey

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 8,750 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, Surah al-nisa (IV)

Right hand leaf: Part of verse 34

Left hand leaf: Part of verse 27 to part of verse 32

These leaves come from a grand thirty-volume Qur'an almost certainly written in the first half of the fifteenth
century. It is an important example of early Ottoman manuscript production, displaying a fine Muhaqqaq script with
a strong flowing rhythm, enhanced by varying arrangements of blue and gold lines. A further bifolium from the same
manuscript was sold in Sotheby's London, 28 April 2004, lot 13.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 136

A QUR'AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT


9th century
ink on vellum

12 by 18cm.; 4 3/4 by 7cm.


North Africa or Near East

ESTIMATE 2,000 - 3,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 2,500 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-hashr, (LIX), verses 3-6


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 137

A QUR'AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT


9th century
ink and gold on vellum

10.5 by 16.2cm.; 4 1/8 by 6 3/8 in.


North Africa or Near East

ESTIMATE 2,000 - 3,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 3,250 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-imran (III), part of verse 83 to 85


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 138

A QUR'AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT


9th century
ink on vellum

11.5 by 18.5cm.; 4 1/2 by 7 1/4cm.


North Africa or Near East

ESTIMATE 2,000 - 3,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 2,500 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah sad (XXXVIII), verses 45 to 56


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 139

A QUR'AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT


9th century
ink and gold on vellum

10.2 by 17cm.; 4 by 6 5/8 in.


North Africa or Near East

ESTIMATE 2,000 - 3,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 2,500 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah qaf (L), verses 9 to 13


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 140

A QUR'AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT


9th century
Ink and gold on Vellum

20.5 by 29.2cm.; 8 1/8 by 11 1/2 in.


North Africa or Near East

ESTIMATE 8,000 - 12,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an surah al-ma'idah (V), verses 65 to 66


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 141

A QUR'AN BIFOLIUM IN EASTERN KUFIC SCRIPT


12th century
Ink on Vellum

14.5 by 20.3cm.; 5 3/4 by 8in.


Persia or Iraq

ESTIMATE 4,000 - 6,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 5,000 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-baqarah (II), verses 25 to 26


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 142

AN ILLUMINATED QUR'AN LEAF IN MAGHRIBI SCRIPT


12-14th century
ink and gold on vellum

21.5 by 21cm.; 8 1/2 by 8 1/4 in.


North West Africa or Andalusia

ESTIMATE 5,000 - 7,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 8,750 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah banu isra'el (XVII), verses 105 to end; surah al-kahf (XVIII), verse 1

The script and general style of this Maghribi Qur'an leaf is typical of western Islamic manuscript production of the
12th-14th centuries. However, the quality and refined detail of the illumination is noteworthy.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 143

AN ILLUMINATED QUR'AN LEAF IN MAGHRIBI SCRIPT


circa 1250-1350 AD
ink and gold on vellum

18.7 by 17.7cm.; 7 3/8 by 7in.


North Africa or Andalusia

ESTIMATE 2,000 - 3,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 3,250 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-an'am (VI), verses 6 to 8


Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 144

A LARGE QUR'AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT


8th century
Ink on Vellum

32 by 38.5cm.; 12 1/2 by 15 1/8 in.


North Africa or Near East

ESTIMATE 25,000 - 35,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 31,250 USD
CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-nisa (IV), part of verse 153 to 162

This Qur'an folio and the following lot originate from a widely dispersed manuscript of great interest, which
is notable for its distinctive script and archaic features.

The page size is relatively large, the script is characterized by a strong degree of horizontal stretching (mashq), and
the 16 lines per page are relatively closely spaced, presenting a quite solid block of text area. There are several
features that distinguish the script from most other Kufic scripts. The terminal nun is very rounded, almost semi-
circular, the medial fa/qaf and 'ayn sit above the line of script, attached only by a very thin vertical ligature, and the
actual form of the medial 'ayn (seen here on the thirteenth line of the verso) is a small cup-shape, almost like a
minute flower. These and other features have led Déroche to give this script a category of its own, designated by
him as style F (see Déroche 1992, pp.46-47). One aspect of the script, the terminal qaf, is of an archaic form that
may be associated with the eighth century under the Umayyad and early Abbasid dynasties. Déroche associates
the script with two inscriptions of the eighth century, one dated 100 AH/718-19 AD, the other dated 160AH/776-7
AD (see Déroche 1992, p.42).

The illumination is also interesting and of an archaic style, characterized by densely decorated polychrome designs
employing reticulation and interlacing in the horizontal panels of the sura headings and dense scrolling foliate motifs
in the adjoining stylized palmettes, which are also distinctive for being present on both the outer and inner margins.
This latter feature is extremely unusual. The palette of the illumination is predominantly green and brown, and the
generally dense foliate style is also used on the fully illuminated opening pages of the ajza', as shown by a folio sold
in these rooms 8th October 2008, lot 1.

Another early feature is the use of rows of angled brown ink dashes for the verse dividers (seen here on the
fourteenth line of the verso). This type of verse marker is associated mostly with Qur'ans in Hijazi script and a few
early Kufic manuscripts which can be confidently attributed to the Umayyad period, such as the well-known
monumental Qur'an in Sana'a with the architectural frontispieces (see von Bothmer 1987, Amsterdam 1999, cat.36-
41), which has been date on stylistic grounds to circa 710-15, and the monumental manuscript known as the
Tashkent Qur'an, which has been carbon-dated to circa 700 AD.

The sura titles of the present Qur'an were probably not part of the original design, since they have been squeezed
in to the small amount of available space at the end of sura, written in red ink. However, they are written in an
identical script to that of the main text and it is possible that they were included by the original scribe after the
completion of the manuscript. The letter-pointing (i'jam) is also not original, using a slightly darker ink and being
applied in a less neat and refined manner than the text. However, the ink has a fine cracquelure caused by the
drying of the ink over the centuries, and thus indicating that it was applied at least in medieval times, perhaps within
a relatively short time of the original production of the manuscript.

Other leaves from this manuscript are in museum and private collections worldwide, including the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art, the David Collection, Copenhagen, the Tareq Rajab Museum, Kuwait and the Nasser D
Khalili Collection, London. Examples have appeared at auction over the last several decades, most recently in
these rooms 24th October 2007, lot 2, where further listing is given. Folios with illuminated panels are very rare,
only four having appeared on the market (Christie's, London, 15 october 1996, lot 47, Sotheby's, London, 29 April
1998, lot 2, Bonhams, London, 1st May 2003, lot 1, and Sotheby's, London, 8th October 2008, lot 1.

For further reading see Fraser and Kwiatowski 2006, pp.26-29, Blair 2006, pp.101-140, Déroche 1992, pp.42, 46-7,
122.
Hurouf: The Art of the Word
Doha | 16 Dec 2010, 7:00 PM | DO1001

LOT 145

A LARGE QUR'AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT


8th century
Ink on Vellum

31.5 by 39.4cm.; 12 3/8 by 15 1/2 in.


North Africa or Near East

ESTIMATE 25,000 - 35,000 USD


Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 33,750 USD

CATALOGUE NOTE
inscription

Qur'an, surah al-kahf (XVIII), part of verse 5 to 10

See catalogue note to previous lot.

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