Mishkin Qalam: 19th-Century Artist and Calligrapher
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Society for Persian Letters and Arts, Mishkin Qalam: 19th-Century Artist and Calligrapher, bahai-library.com.
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Mishkín Qalam:

19th-Century Artist and Calligrapher

Society for Persian Letters and Arts
Vahid Rafati
Annemarie Schimmel

Switzerland: Landegg Acadamy, 1992

Contents

Note on Mishkín Qalam, by Anne-Marie Schimmel, PDF

Note on Mishkín Qalam, by Anne-Marie Schimmel, text

Mishkín Qalam, by Vahid Rafati, PDF

Mishkín Qalam, by Vahid Rafati, text

English Preface, by Persian Letters and Arts Society, PDF

English Preface, by Persian Letters and Arts Society, text

Persian front matter and introductory material, PDF

Complete book, PDF links

1. Note on Mishkín Qalamby Anne-Marie Schimmel, PDF

Download: society-persian-letters_schimmel_mishkin_qalam.pdf.

2. Note on Mishkín Qalamby Anne-Marie Schimmel
proofread text

Every visitor who comes to the Sackler Museum of Art at the Harvard
University is attracted by a beautiful calligraphic picture showing a golden
rooster on a radiant blue background -- one of the few items in the Near
Eastern Galleries whose reproduction as a greetings card is available in the
Museum Shop.

We are often asked about the rooster's provenience and its meaning, and
try to explain its importance to our visitors: throughout Iranian history the
rooster was a bird connected with light, the herald of the true morning and,
m the Islamic tradition, of the time for dawn prayer -- hence a bird whose
picture evokes thoughts of clarity and splendor, baha. It is, therefore, not
surprising that the leading Baha'i calligrapher, Mishkin Qalam, has devoted
some of his calligraphic paintings to the representation of this bird of light,
made up from religious formulas.

For Mishkín Qalam was not only a master calligrapher. Born in Iran in
early nineteenth century, he became an ardent believer in the Baha'i Faith
and spent a considerable time in Turkey -- first in Edirne, then in Istanbul'.
However, on the instigation of the then Persian ambassador he was like
many other Baha'is, imprisoned between 1885 and 1894 in Famagusta'. He
also spent a few years in India. He died in the Holy Land in the early years
of the twentieth century. His art was greatly admired in Iran and the
countries under her cultural influence, and E. G. Browne remarks in his
account of his sojourn in Iran (A Year among the Persians) that Mishkin
Qalam's calligraphies were very famous and would be eagerly sought after
by Persians of all classes, were it not for his signature which betrayed him
as a Baha'i and made him, therefore, unacceptable for a faithful Shiite.

This is certainly a sad statement, for there is no doubt that Mishkin Qalam
(he with the musk black, fragrant pen) is one of the finest calligraphers at
the turn of this century. He wrote in different styles, especially in nasta'líq,
and his crisp, clear hand immediately proves that he grew up in the
tradition of Mir 'Imad (assassinated 1615), the leading master of Safavid
Iran, about whom the Mughal Emperor Jahangir said: "If Shah 'Abbas had
sent him to me I would have paid his weight in pearls."

Mishkín Qalam's firm hand makes the observer feel that he was well versed
in large inscriptions for be forms his letters (e.g, the wide initial kh in the
style used in architectural inscriptions. His rounded letters in nasta'líq are
of flawless beauty, and the upper endings of the high strokes show that he
liked to write with a sharp, freshly cut pen by which the contrasts between
the thin and the thick strokes become very prominent so as to enhance the
writing's beauty. Remarkable is also his elegant way of writing the heart-shaped medial h which occurs so frequently in the words baha and abha.

Mishkín Qalam would not be such a widely acclaimed artist had he
remained always faithful to the traditional style. His writings show some
innovative trends which were to become more prominent in the calligraphies
of a later period; his way of somewhat softening the end of the ra is a
novelty. Not satisfied with writing only traditional nasta'líq or inventing
delightful birds, Mishkín Qalam tuned in with those who tried to give
calligraphy a new character by creating as it were calligraphic porticoes or
curtains, and he perfectly mastered the art of mirror script which had
become very popular in Turkey in his days for pious formulas and
invocations.

A firm hand, a flawless technique in shaping the letters, a vast imaginative
power and a deep love for calligraphy as a means of expressing religious
feelings, these are the qualities of Mishkin Qalam, a truly great master
whose influence -- beyond the Golden Rooster -- can be detected in the works
of the masters in our century.

3. Mishkín Qalamby Vahid Rafati, PDF

Download: society-persian-letters_rafati_mishkin_qalam.pdf.

4. Mishkín Qalamby Vahid Rafati
proofread text

Mirza Husayn, known as Mishkín Qalam (Musk-Scented Pen), was a
renowned Persian calligrapher, painter and poet. He was the son of
Fatimih and Haji Muhammad 'Aliy-i-Isfahani, who were born of merchant
families originally from Shiraz, Iran. Born in Isfahan, Iran, in 1241 or 1242
AH [1826 A.D.1) Mishkín Qalam passed away on 25 Dhu'l-Hijjih 1330 AH
[6 December 1912] in 'Akka.

Little information is available about the childhood of Mishkín Qalam, but
it is known that he received his primary education in Isfahan, and that from
his childhood he showed a great deal of interest in different styles of
calligraphy and painting. Mishkín Qalam married, in Isfahan, Agha Bigum
who gave birth to a daughter, Shah Bigum, and a son, Mirza Ali-Akbar.

When Mishkin Qalam was about twenty-five years old, his father passed
away during a business trip to Tihran. Mishkín Qalam hastened to Tihran
to attend to his father's affairs. While there, Mishkín Qalam visited a friend
who was a shopkeeper. As he sat in the friend's shop, the Grand Vizir
passed by. A skilled artist even in his youth, Mishkín Qalam was inspired
to sketch a portrait of the Vizir with the mere impression of his linger nail
on paper, a technique which he had perfected. He presented the portrait
to the shopkeeper and left. Later, when the Vi7ir passed by once again, the
shopkeeper showed him the portrait Mishkin Qalam had created. The Vi:,,jr
was delighted and insisted on meeting such a brilliant artist. The
shopkeeper with great difficulty located Mishkín Qalam and arranged the
meeting. The Vizir invited Mishkín Qalam to the royal court to be
presented to Nasiri'd-din Shah, the ruler of Iran. The Shah, recognizing
the extraordinary talent of the young artist, gave him the title of "'Mishkin
Qalam" and appointed him as a tutor to his Crown Prince who was in
Tabriz.

Mishkín Qalam lived in Tabriz for several years as a teacher of the Crown
Prince and other members of the royal family. During those years he made
a trip to Isfahan to visit his family. On the way back to Tihran, he met a
certain Baha'i by the name of Siyyid Mihdi who told him about the Baha'i'
Faith. The impact of this meeting on Mishkín Qalam was so great that,
without informing the court or his family, he decided to visit Baha'u'llah, the
Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, who was residing in Adrianople
(Edirne) at the time.

En route to Adrianople Mishkín Qalam stopped at Aleppo where he was
hired by Jawdat Pasha, the governor of that city, as a tutor for his children.
While he was in Aleppo, Nabil Zarandi, the great Baha'i teacher and
historian of the Baha'i Faith, arrived in the city. He met Mishkín Qalam
and brought him to a full recognition of the station of Baha'u'llah, Prophet-founder
of the Baha'i Faith.

Mishkin Qalam then travelled to Adrianople, where he attained the
presence of Baha'u'llah and became one of his scribes. At this time the use
of the invocation "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha" (O, Thou glory of the Most Glorious)
became prevalent among the Baha'i. Mishkin Qalam, deeply moved by the
implications of that invocation known as the Greatest Name, arranged it in
the beautiful form in which it is generally represented today.
Mishkín Qalam later settled in Constantinople (Istanbul) where he came
into contact, through his art, with many distinguished Persians and Turks.
His stay there, however, was brief. As a result of the machinations of the
enemies of the Baha'i Faith he was arrested and sent to Gallipoli. Together
with some other Baha'is, he arrived there on 16 August 1868. Baha'u'llah
and his companions arrived a day later on their way to exile in 'Akka,
Palestine. Shortly afterwards Mishkín Qalam and the other prisoners who
were brought from Constantinople were put on board ship with Baha'u'llah
and His companions bound for 'Akka. On arrival in Haifa, however,
Mishkin Qalam and three other Baha'is were sent to Cyprus while
Baha'u'llah and most of his followers were taken to 'Akka. From 1868 to
1877 Mishkin Qalam was in exile in Famagusta, Cyprus. When Cyprus
came under British rule the Ottoman prisoners were set free. In 1886
Mishkin Qalam was finally able to go to 'Akka and join the entourage of
Baha'u'llah.

During his years in 'Akka Mishkin Qalam devoted himself to transcribing
the Baha'i writings and to creating magnificent works of art. He produced
many calligraphic copies of Baha'i writings, including two volumes of the
writings of Baha'u'llah, which he completed in 1892 and had printed in
Bombay. A copy of Baha'u'llah 's Hidden Words in the handwriting of
Mishkin Qalam was published recently (1983) in Germany.

After the passing of Baha'u'llah, Mishkín Qalam continued to render
devoted services to 'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'u'llah's son and His appointed
successor as the leader of the Baha'i community. In 1893 he transcribed
'Abdu'l-Baha's Treatise on Politics, which was published in Bombay the
same year.

In 1905 Mishkin Qalam was directed by 'Abdu'l-Baha to go to India to
assist with Baha'i publications. He continued his services there until he fell
ill and, at the invitation of 'Abdu'l-Baha, returned to the Holy Land where
he resided until the end of his life. One of his last services was to design
the calligraphic inscriptions carved on the sarcophagus presented by the
Baha'is of Burma to hold the remains of the Bab, founder of the Babi
Faith.

Not only was Mishkín Qalam a distinguished calligrapher and artist, he also
composed poetry. Yet his enduring fame is due to his penmanship, which
is characterized by elegance in a wide range of different styles of Persian
and Arabic scripts. Baha'i historians have described Mishkin Qalam as a
pleasant man with a keen sense of humor who was always ready to offer a
witty response in conversation.

A full study and thorough evaluation of the work of Mishkín Qalam remains
to be undertaken by experts, But without doubt, Mishkin Qalam's most
outstanding contribution is that he was the first Baha'i artist to have used
the art of calligraphy and painting to express profoundly his religious
convictions and mystical experiences. The concept of combining epigraph
and images in a figural calligraphy was well established in Islamic culture,
but Mishkin Qalam's main source of inspiration was the Baha'i writings.
Bird imagery, which appears so frequently in Mishkin Qalam's calligraphic
renderings, is a powerful expression of the theme of the "Nightingale of
Paradise" or the "Cockerel of the Throne" announcing the dawn of the new
:Faith and the bringing of a heavenly message to the mortal world.

Besides his transcriptions of the Baha'i writings, Mishkin Qalam produced
scores of calligraphic renderings of verses from the Baha'i texts, and of
invocations such as "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha," "Ya 'Alfu'l-A'la," (O, Thou
Exalted, the Most Exalted) and "Ya 'Abdu'l-Baha" (O 'Abdu'l-Baha) in
various sizes and designs of exquisite beauty, proportion, and originality.
Mishkin Qalam had mastered the traditional styles of calligraphy such as
Nasta'liq, Naskh, and Shikastih, in addition to his own unique "bird script,"
and he often incorporated several styles in one piece. Hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of examples of his artistry are preserved in Baha'i archives or
displayed in Baha'i Centers or Holy Places or in the homes of some Baha'is
around the world. Some pieces even are in prominent museums such as
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University.

Mishkin Qalam usually signed his works as "Servant at the gate of Baha',
Mishkín Qalam." The story of this signature dates back to his days in
Aleppo. When he had finished one of his pieces, he asked Nabil to write
a verse to be put on the work. Nabil inscribed the following verse:

Dar diyar-i khatt shah-i sahib 'alam,

Bandiy-i bab-i Baba, Mishkín Qalam.

[In the realm of calligraphy

the King who possesses the Banner

is the Servant at the gate of Baha',

Mishkin Qalam.]

Or in Marzieh Gail's translation,

"Lord of calligraphy, my banner goes before;

But to Baha'u'llah, a bondsman at the door,

Naught else am I,

Mishkín Qalam"2

Bibliography

'Abdu'l-Baha. Memorials of the Faithful. Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing
Trust, 1971.

Aidun, Gol. "Mishkin Qalam, The Great Calligrapher and Humorist."
Unpublished paper delivered at the New England Regional
Conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies, 1982.

Balyuzi, H. M. Baha'u'llah: King of Glory. Oxford: George Ronald, 1980.

Browne, Edward Granville. A Year Amongst the Persians. London: Century
Publishing, 1984.

- - - Materials for the Study of the Bab£ Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge
Press, 1961.

- - - A Traveller's Narrative written to illustrate the Episode of the Bab.
New York: Baha'i Publishing Committee, 1930.

Haydar-Ali, Haji Mirza. The Delight of Hearts. Translated and abridged
by A. Q. Faizi. Los Angeles: Kalimat Press, 1980.

Ishraq-Khavari, 'Abdu'l-Hamid. Nuray11-i-Nayyeray11. Tehran: Baha'i
Publishing Trust, 1967.

Mazandarani, A. Asraru'l-Athar, Part I. Tehran: Mu'assisih-i Melli-i
Ma~bu • at-i Amri (National Baha'i Publishing Trust), 1968.

Mooghen, Amanullah. 'Athar va Ahval-i Badi az Khushnivisan-i Baha'i"
in Khoosh-i-ha'i az Kharmani Adab va Honor. Landegg,
Switzerland: Persian Letters and Art Society, 1990.

Momen, Moojan. The Babi and Baha'i Religions 1844-1944: Some
Contemporary Accounts. Oxford: George Ronald, 1983.

Nabil-i A'zam, Muhammad. The Dawn-Breakers: Nabil's Narrative of the
Early Days of the Baha'i Revelation. Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing
Trust, 1932.

Nakhjavam, Bahiyyih. Four on An Island. Oxford: George Ronald, 1983.

Oeming Badiee, Julie and Heshmatollah Badiee. "The Calligraphy of
Mishkin Qalam" in The Journal of Baha'i Studies. Volume 3
(1991), Number 4, pp. 1-22.

Schimmel, Anne-Marie. Calligraphy and Islamic Culture. New York: New
York University Press, 1978.

- - - Islamic Calligraphy. Leiden: E. J. Brill 1970.

Stevens, E. S. The Mountain of God. London: Mills and Boon, 1911.

Tahirzadeh, Adib. The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, volume I. Oxford:
George Ronald, 1975.

- - - The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, volume II. Oxford: George Ronald,
1977.

Notes

1. Dr. Mehrdad Meshkin as well as the late Gol Aidun report the year of Mishkin Qalam's
birth as 1810

2. 'Abdu'l-Baha, Memorials of the Faithful, English translation by Marzieh Gail, p. 99n.

5. English Preface
by Persian Letters and Arts Society, PDF

Download: society-persian-letters_mishkin_qalam_preface.pdf.

6. English Preface
by Persian Letters and Arts Society
proofread text

PREFACE

Mirza Hussain Isfahani, who was given the title "Mishkin Qalam" (black or
musk-scented pen) by the Shah of Persia, will always have a special and
exalted rank among the great masters of calligraphy and design.

Although some Iranian scholars, perhaps due to religious prejudice, have
either ignored or made only a passing reference to Mishkin Qalam's work,1
many fair-minded scholars and researchers have praised him as a great
master of his art. For example Muhammad 'Ali Karimzadeh Tabrizi has
testificd2 that Mishkin Qalam was "an innovative creator of tughras from
Isfahan who produced masterpieces by combining calligraphy with figure-drawing
(now called calligraphic painting) and illuminated them in gold and
other decorative colors. I have seen his tughras that were in the form of a
bird, Bismillah or a human face, or in chalipa style and all were signed
Mishkin Qalam and dated between 1305 to 1325 A.H. The best of the
artist's tughras displayed in Islamic World Festival exhibition in London was
in the; form of a bird composed of letters and it was signed 'servant of the
gate of Baba, Mishkin Qalam, 1305.' Another beautiful work of this master
was in the form of a bird facing its mirror image, composed of words, and
the margins were exquisitely illuminated. This fine piece which was sold in
1977 by Spinks Gallery in London was signed 'Servant of the gate of Baha,
Mishkin Qalam, 1307.' Mishkin Qalam died in 1330 A.H. and is buried
outside Iran"3

There is no doubt that Mishkin Qalam's skill was not limited to nasta'liq,
the style that was perfected by Mir 'Imad Hassani Seifi Qazvini. He
excelled in every style of calligraphy prevalent in his days. Evidence of his
mastery is a piece in which he has written some of the verses of
Baha'u'llah4 in the seven principal styles of calligraphy. In that masterpiece
he has demonstrated the highest level of calligraphic skill. Another example
is a copy of The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah the opening page of which he
has written in nasta'liq and naskh.

In Ruhu'l-Khat Al'Arabi (the spirit of Arabic calligraphy) [2nd. edition,
Lebanon, 1988] Kamal-el-Baba, himself a peerless artist, has included five
works of Mishkin Qalam in the chapter entitled Lawhat-i Fanni
(masterpieces). All of them are in very fine nasta'liq style. One which
stands out is a special arrangement of a verse which means "He will glorify
the one who is humble and will abase he who is greedy." Another piece
that catches the eye is a verse from the Holy Qur'an in the form of a cone.
Kamal-el Babel refers to Mishkín Qalam as the Persian Baha'i calligrapher.

'Abdu'l-Muhammad Irani, editor of the periodical Chihrihnama, in his book
Peydayish-i Khat va Khattatan (Calligraphy and Calligraphers) [Tehran: n.d.,
p. 3.56] has these words about Mishkín Qalam. "In mastery of the seven
styles he was indeed peerless among his contemporaries and must be
counted among the geniuses of his age. His work which is of unparalleled
beauty is now displayed in libraries in Syria and Egypt."

Mehdi Bayani in his three-volume work Ahval va Athar-i Khushnivisan-i,
Nasta'liq Nivisan (Life and Work of Calligraphers in Nasta'liq) after quoting
the above words of Abdu'l-Muhammad Khan adds that the inscriptions in
the mausoleum of Mirza Muslim (located near the shrine of Seyyed Hamzih
in the Sorkhab district of Tabriz) are the work of Mishkin Qalam. These
inscriptions were made on paper and attached to the walls of the shrine
under glass. Bayani praises Mishkin Qalam's nasta'liq, shikastih ta'liq, and
sitikastih nasta'liq calligraphy.

It is worth noting that although Mishkín Qalam is an outstanding
calligrapher, he was not the only eminent calligrapher among the Baha'is.
From the very beginning of the new religion special attention was paid to
calligraphy, and all that is written in the hand of the central figures of this
Faith witness that attention. The Bab5 writes "Permission is not given to
anyone to write even a single letter of the Bayan except in the best of
handwritings."6
The Bab himself most often used shikastih nasta'liq and the
speed of his writing was the source of astonishment of those present.
Calligraphic exercises in the handwriting of Baha'u'llah when still a child arc
available. The beauty of those pieces is evidence of being instructed by His
illustrious father Mirza 'Abbas (Buzurg) Nuri, who was one of the greatest
calligraphers of the Qajar era.

The publication of the present collection of the works of the great master
of calligraphy and graphic design, Mishkin Qalam, honors one who lived for
many years in the presence of Baha'u'llah and received from His words the
inspiration to create unique pieces of calligraphy and art. It also
commemorates the centenary of the passing of Baha'u'llah.

Baha'u'llah has not only given humanity a set of moral and spiritual
teachings, he has also laid the foundation for a new civilization and a new
world order. His goal is to gather all of humanity together under the banner
of peace, fellowship and justice. In His teachings, Baha'u'llah has
emphasized art, creativity, praise and respect for nature, and loving care for
whatever God has created. This compilation is but a small tribute to all
those who are striving to build a better and more beautiful world and hope
that one day goodness, beauty and truth will take the place of ugliness, evil
and deceit.

In conclusion it remains for us to acknowledge the contributions of all those
who have helped in the production of this compilation, especially Dr. Vahid
Rafati and Professor Anna Marie Schimmel who have provided brief
introductions to the life and work of Mishkin Qalam; Dr. Mohammad
Afnan and Mr. Saeed Mohamed who assisted with the selection of the
specimens of Mishkin Qalam's calligraphy and took charge of technical
matters connected with printing of the compilation with great patience,
sincerity and care; also Dr. Manuchehr Derakhshani and Mr. Foad Rousta'i
who assisted in the translation and editing work for this volume. Finally we
express gratitude to Mr. Amanullah Mooghen who, himself an
acknowledged artist, has graced this volume with his calligraphy.

The production of such a compilation requires a substantial capital.
Without the generosity and support of Mr. Hussaingholi and Mrs. Khojasteh
Kiayani the project would not have been realized. We wish all of these dear
colleagues evermore success in their literary, artistic and humanitarian
services.

Persian Letters and Arts Society

Notes

l. For instance the four volume Ahval va Athar-i Khushnivisan (Life and Work of
Calligraphers,) 2nd. ed. Tehran: 1363 AH (1984).

2. Ahval va Athar-i Naqqashan-i Qadim-i Iran va Barkhi az Mashahir-i Nigargar-i Hind va
'Uthmani (Life and Work of Ancient Iranian Painters and Some Indian and Ottoman Artists),
2 volumes, London: 1369 AH (1990)

3. For a biography of Mishkin Qalam see "Mishkin Qalam" by Dr. Mehrdad Meshgin (his
great grandson) in Herald of the South, Vol. 3, April 1985, pp. 2-11, or articles by Amanullah
Mooghen in Khoosh-i-ha'i az Kharman-i-Adab va Honar, Vol. I, and by Saeed Motamed in
Khoosh-i-ha'i az Kharman-i-Adab va Honar, Vol. 4.

4. Mirza Husayn-'Ali, entitled Baha'u'llah, Founder or the Baha'i Dispensation

5. Mirza 'Alf-Muhammad or Shiraz, known as the Bab, was the inaugurator of the Babi
Dispensation and the Forerunner of the Baha'i Dispensation

6. Persian Bayan, Bab-i Hifdahum (chapter 17), Vahid Sivum (unit 3)

7. Persian front matter and introductory material, PDF

Download: society-persian-letters_mishkin_qalam_preface_persian.pdf.

8. Complete book, links to PDFs

Complete book, original link: bluefin.live/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/mishkin-qalam_calligraphy_book.pdf [73 MB]

Complete book, reduced-size PDF, English pages OCR-ed: society-persian-letters_mishkin_qalam_calligraphy.pdf [52 MB]

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-- Mishkin Qalam: 19th-Century Artist and Calligrapher (Used by permission of the curator)