Proverb in Nasta'liq Script
Calligraphy by Ali Riza Khan, Indian
Geography:
Made in India, Asia
Date:
1850Medium:
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paperDimensions:
Image: 7 × 11 1/8 inches (17.8 × 28.3 cm) Sheet: 10 7/8 × 15 1/16 inches (27.6 × 38.3 cm)Curatorial Department:
South Asian ArtObject Location:
1878-196Credit Line:
The India Collection: Gift of the British Government, 1878
Made in India, Asia
Date:
1850Medium:
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paperDimensions:
Image: 7 × 11 1/8 inches (17.8 × 28.3 cm) Sheet: 10 7/8 × 15 1/16 inches (27.6 × 38.3 cm)Curatorial Department:
South Asian ArtObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1878-196Credit Line:
The India Collection: Gift of the British Government, 1878
Label:
In this proverb, written in Arabic, greed is condemned and conquest is lauded. As Iran converted to Islam in the seventh century, the Arabic alphabet replaced the older Persian alphabet, but the Persian language retained its grammatical forms. In India, Persian was often used when composing poetry or documenting government affairs, while Arabic was the language of religion.
In this proverb, written in Arabic, greed is condemned and conquest is lauded. As Iran converted to Islam in the seventh century, the Arabic alphabet replaced the older Persian alphabet, but the Persian language retained its grammatical forms. In India, Persian was often used when composing poetry or documenting government affairs, while Arabic was the language of religion.
