20th May, 2026 11:00

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

 
Lot 5
 


Lot 5 - A QUATRAIN FROM SADI'S GULISTAN, SIGNED MUHAMMAD HUSAYN AL-KASHMIR, PERSIA, DATED 1591-92
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5

A QUATRAIN FROM SADI'S GULISTAN, SIGNED MUHAMMAD HUSAYN AL-KASHMIR, PERSIA, DATED 1591-92

in black ink, gold and opaque colours, with four lines of nasta'liq on a ground of gold scrolls and birds, further lines of nasta'liq in the borders, ; with a letter signed by Muzaffar ad-Din Shah, Persai, dated 1897 AD, in black ink on paper, embellished with illumination in gold and opaque colours; and a calligraphic exercise comprising verses from a ghazal of the poet ‘Ashiq Isfahani (d. 1767/1768), in black ink on paper embellished with gold and opaque colours, all framed and glazed, 25 x 18cm.; 23.5 x 18cm.; 14 x 6.5cm. respectively (3)

Inscriptions:

The first with:

muhammad husayn al-katib / sana alf
‘Muhammad Husayn al-Katib (the Scribe), year one thousand [1591-2 AD].’
This is the way in which Muhammad Husayn al-Kashmir, the famous calligrapher at the court of Akbar who bore the title Zarrin-Qalam (Golden Pen) signed his work. Birds are frequently used to decorate his calligraphy though in this case they may have been added later.

Sold for £6,000


 

in black ink, gold and opaque colours, with four lines of nasta'liq on a ground of gold scrolls and birds, further lines of nasta'liq in the borders, ; with a letter signed by Muzaffar ad-Din Shah, Persai, dated 1897 AD, in black ink on paper, embellished with illumination in gold and opaque colours; and a calligraphic exercise comprising verses from a ghazal of the poet ‘Ashiq Isfahani (d. 1767/1768), in black ink on paper embellished with gold and opaque colours, all framed and glazed, 25 x 18cm.; 23.5 x 18cm.; 14 x 6.5cm. respectively (3)

Inscriptions:

The first with:

muhammad husayn al-katib / sana alf
‘Muhammad Husayn al-Katib (the Scribe), year one thousand [1591-2 AD].’
This is the way in which Muhammad Husayn al-Kashmir, the famous calligrapher at the court of Akbar who bore the title Zarrin-Qalam (Golden Pen) signed his work. Birds are frequently used to decorate his calligraphy though in this case they may have been added later.

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