Limited Edition

To give the art of calligraphy the praise it deserves, need anything more be said than the well-known adage in the Islamic world, that ‘the Koran was sent down as a revelation at the Hejaz, it was read in Egypt and written in Istanbul’? The art of calligraphy’s ability to preserve its unique structure and to avoid the exploitive impact of other cultures, its principle of master-apprentice collaboration that allows its flow from generation to generation and its prowess in renewing itself over time, make it an inspiration for both traditional and modern imaginative artists. As mentioned in the work titled ‘The beauty of the pen through civilizations and in the civilization of Islam,’ what is described as ‘hat’, or calligraphy, what is dedicated to the art is ‘something intangible, a simple color, a geometrical silence, a movement, an enlivening, a flirtatiousness. What the ears cannot hear, what only the spirits listen to, a metaphysical music that enlivens the soul with a silent harmony. That is me, and I am that.’ Although the art of calligraphy was initially described as an artistic form of writing in Arabic letters, the journey of description ended in Islamic sources with the words, ‘a spiritual geometry that is brought about by bodies of instruments’ and later, in its evolution, the art joined other beautiful forms with elegance, embracing a camaraderie with the art of illumination. ‘Eser-i ask’ (a work of love) is seen on this vase of black opal glass, in the calligraphic style of ‘mirrored writing’, with relief patterns all painted with platinum gilding and decorated with semi-precious stones, presented with the workmanship and mastery of Paşabahçe.