AN OTTOMAN CALLIGRAPHIC PANEL BY ISMAIL NEFESZADE, 17TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, Arabic poem, 4 lines written in black thuluth script reserved in clouds on a sprinkled gold ground. Decorated with polychrome floral motifs, ruled in polychrome borders.
Signed by Ismail known as Nefeszade.
22.5 by 15 cm.

The Calligrapher
Nefeszade Seyyid Ismail Efendi ( d.1090/1680), student of Sheikh Hamdullah school in the six scripts. Born in Istanbul, buried in Istanbul. There is not much information about the life of Nefeszâde Seyyid İsma'il Efendi, who is a relative of Nefeszâde Seyyid İbrahim Efendi, the author of Gülzar-ı Savâb. He followed lessons by Khalid Erzurumi and obtained a license and while he was trying to develop a unique style at first, he later decided to the follow the style of Sheikh Hamdullah and became a unique calligrapher. After educating many calligraphers and succeeding in many works, he died in 1090/1680.