El Kasibu Habibullah.
(Istanbul: Ebristan, 2008). Marbled paper measuring 23 3/4 by 32 inches, with elegant marbled calligraphy in Arabic. The script translates to say "One who conducts business in a Halal fashion is the beloved servant of Allah." This superb example of Ebru, the ancient Turkish art of paper marbling, has a bold simplicity. Ebru was traditionally used as a background for calligraphy and is considered high art. This paper was marbled twice using a stencil technique and resists. The result is that the calligraphy and the background have different colors and patterns: the background of this piece is decorated with bubbles of pink, peach, and white, while the contrasting calligraphy is swirled with black and gray. The calligrapher who created the design was A. Hulusi Efendi (1869-1940), who belonged to a long line of Turkish marbling artists and calligraphers. Signed Hikmet Heida, which means "wisdom of god." Top right corner is slightly bumped, else a very fine example of Ebru art. Item #23070
Price: $800.00