AN OTTOMAN HILYA, 18TH CENTURY

Single leaf, laid down on a wooden panel topped with crown carving, text panel at the top with the blessing in a single line of black muhaqqaq, then a circular text-block with 10 lines black naskh, 4 circular devices extending outwards from this with the names of the Caliphs, then another single line of muhaqqaq in another text block above the colophon at the bottom of the page, containing another 3 lines black naskh, gilt roundels marking the verses throughout, floral decorations and gilt borders.
Hilya, Arabic for 'ornament', refers to a genre of Ottoman Turkish literature associated with the physical description of Muhammad.
In the seventeenth century, hilyas developed into an art form with a standardized layout.
30 by 45 cm.
Wooden panel: 31 by 78 cm.