20th May, 2026 11:00

Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026

 
Lot 10
 


Lot 10 - A QUR'ANIC ILLUMINATED FOLIO, SIGNED GHULAM RIZA, PERSIA, 19TH CENTURY
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10

A QUR'ANIC ILLUMINATED FOLIO, SIGNED GHULAM RIZA, PERSIA, 19TH CENTURY

in ink, opaque colours, gold on buff coloured paper, with six lines of nasta'liq with intersitial floral sprays and flanked by formal arabesque elements, two further lines of nasta'liq lower left and right, ruled margins in black and gold, inscribed in black recto, mounted on card, text 19.2 x 11.3cm., folio 30.6 x 19cm.

Inscriptions:

The text is Qur’an 1, Surat al-Fatiha

Signed within the smaller cartouches:

al-mudhnib ghulam riza ghafara dhunubahu wa-satara ‘uyubahu
’The sinful Ghulam Riza, may [God] forgive his sins and conceal his faults’
On the recto 'this page by the master Ghulam Riza' and stating that it was bought in Shiraz in AH 1279/1879-80 AD for the purchaser's Sufi lodge (khanqah).
This may well be the famous calligrapher Ghulam Riza Isfahani, one of the most famous calligraphers of the Qajar period. He was the son of a confectioner who moved from Isfahan to Tehran. His skill in calligraphy gained the attention of Muhammad Shah and as a result he received royal favour and was appointed tutor to the Qajar princes. He died in 1304/1886-7 and was buried in the Safa’iyya cemetery in Rayy. He was a master of several styles, including nasta’liq, which he wrote in the style of Mir ‘Imad, though he is most often remembered for his work in shikasta ta’liq and siyah mashq styles. For his full biography and a discussion of his work, see Bayani 1346, vol.2, pp. 550-556.

Unsold

 

in ink, opaque colours, gold on buff coloured paper, with six lines of nasta'liq with intersitial floral sprays and flanked by formal arabesque elements, two further lines of nasta'liq lower left and right, ruled margins in black and gold, inscribed in black recto, mounted on card, text 19.2 x 11.3cm., folio 30.6 x 19cm.

Inscriptions:

The text is Qur’an 1, Surat al-Fatiha

Signed within the smaller cartouches:

al-mudhnib ghulam riza ghafara dhunubahu wa-satara ‘uyubahu
’The sinful Ghulam Riza, may [God] forgive his sins and conceal his faults’
On the recto 'this page by the master Ghulam Riza' and stating that it was bought in Shiraz in AH 1279/1879-80 AD for the purchaser's Sufi lodge (khanqah).
This may well be the famous calligrapher Ghulam Riza Isfahani, one of the most famous calligraphers of the Qajar period. He was the son of a confectioner who moved from Isfahan to Tehran. His skill in calligraphy gained the attention of Muhammad Shah and as a result he received royal favour and was appointed tutor to the Qajar princes. He died in 1304/1886-7 and was buried in the Safa’iyya cemetery in Rayy. He was a master of several styles, including nasta’liq, which he wrote in the style of Mir ‘Imad, though he is most often remembered for his work in shikasta ta’liq and siyah mashq styles. For his full biography and a discussion of his work, see Bayani 1346, vol.2, pp. 550-556.

Auction: Live Sale: Indian, Islamic, Himalayan and South-East Asian Art 2026, 20th May, 2026

The sale includes the collection of Robert Skelton OBE, curator of Indian Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  It comprises some exquisite 18th and 19th century Indian paintings and drawings as well as a fine group of modern Indian paintings with works by Shiavax Chavda (1914 - 1990), Francis Newton Souza (1924 - 2002), K Laxma Goud (B. 1940) and Jayashree Chakravarty (B. 1956).  Tiles, Indian bronzes, thewa boxes, a silver gilt ewer, a ‘Koftgari’ pen box and a Mughal carved black jade dagger are also among the lots in this collection.

Also in the same sale is 10th -12th century Persian pottery, a monumental pair of 19th century doors, Persian and Syrian ceramics including tiles, also Iznic tiles from Ottoman Anatolia. Other lots include Indian bronze figures, small furniture, textiles and rugs.
 
Auction Location: London, UK
 
PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Sunday 17th May: 12pm to 4pm 
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm
 
CONTACT
indianandislamic@olympiaauctions.com  + 44 (0)20 7806 5545
 
 

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PUBLIC EXHIBITION:

Sunday 17th May: 12pm to 4pm 
Monday 18th May: 10am to 5:30pm
Tuesday 19th May: 10am to 5pm

CONTACT
indianandislamic@olympiaauctions.com  + 44 (0)20 7806 5545

View all lots in this sale