[Calligraphic specimen, early to mid 18th century].

Exquisite album of calligraphy (muraqqaʻ or murakkaa) comprising kıt'alar employing ḥadīth of the Prophet executed by the celebrated Ottoman calligrapher Eğrikapılı Mehmet Râsim Efendi (d.1756), renowned student of Seyyid Abdullah of Yedikule (d.1731).

Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Library, Isl. Ms. 243

Origin: As appears in signature on each panel, executed by Eğrikapılı Mehmet Râsim Efendi known as İmamzade (d.1756), who acquired his icazet in 1705.

Former shelfmark: "545 T. D. M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on upper board lining ; "39" in pencil on recto of opening panel.

Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark red leather ; Type III binding (without flap) ; board linings (doublures) and reverse of opening and closing panels in fine marbled paper (ebru in blue, red, pink, green, etc.) ; upper and lower covers carry gold-tooled borders ; panels edged and hinged together with red brown leather ; overall in fairly good condition ; repairs to spine and hinges in Japanese paper.

Support: Written area on well-burnished paper, pieced, set into an elaborate frame in several different laid papers (yellow-tinted, mint-tinted, pink-tinted, orange-tinted, and untinted, all gold-flecked and with colors of facing panels matching) and mounted.

Decoration: Illuminated rectangular pieces filled with vegetal decoration in shades of gold, pink, orange, etc. flank lower central written area on each panel ; written area and divisions within surrounded by frames of gold defined by bands of turquoise and white as well as black fillets ; illuminated floral accents in shades of pink, light green, red, gold, etc. set off text and frames.

Script: Exquisite specimen of Ottoman calligraphy ; opening large line of each panel in thuluth (sülüs), following lines naskh (nesih).

Layout: Written in roughly nine lines per page, a large line with eight following lines on the diagonal.

Collation: Six 'panels' (mounted leaves) edged and hinged together with brown leather ; opens vertically.

Colophon: Each panel signed "حرره الفقير محمد راسم," "حرره الفقير محمد راسم المعروف بامام," etc.

Explicit: "وفوقه عرش الرحمن ومنه تفجر انهار الجنة"

Incipit: ""بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ان المرأة تقبل في صورة شيطان قال النبي صلوات الله عليه وسلامه ان المسلم اذا انفق على اهله نفقة وهو يحتسبها كانت له صدقة ..."

Title supplied by cataloguer.

Ms. codex.

Serin, Muhittin. “Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’ndeki Bazı Kütüphanelerde Bulunan İslam El Yazma Eserleri ve Michigan Üniversitesi II. Abdülhamid Koleksiyonu,” Akademik Araştırmalar Dergisi 2, 4-5, (2000).

Derman, M. Uğur. Letters in gold : Ottoman calligraphy from the Sakıp Sabancı collection, Istanbul. (New York : Metropolitian Museum of Art : Distributed by H.N. Abrams, c1998),

Zakariya, Mohamed. "Islamic calligraphy: A technical overview." In Brocade of the pen: the art of Islamic writing. Carol Garrett Fisher, ed. (East Lansing, MI: Kresge Art Museum, Michigan State University, 1991):

Brocade of the pen : the art of Islamic writing. Carol Garrett Fisher, ed. (East Lansing, MI: Kresge Art Museum, Michigan State University, 1991),

Exquisite album of calligraphy (muraqqaʻ or murakkaa) comprising kıt'alar employing ḥadīth of the Prophet executed by the celebrated Ottoman calligrapher Eğrikapılı Mehmet Râsim Efendi (d.1756), renowned student of Seyyid Abdullah of Yedikule (d.1731).

Mode of access: Internet.

Acquired by purchase (funds donated by Horace Rackham).

Inscriptions in pencil "545 T. D. M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" on upper board lining and "39" on recto of opening panel ; clean copy.