Framed Calligraphic Panel - Allah, there is no God but He.

This splendid panel is a reproduction of an art piece by the Ottoman master calligrapher Mustafa Râkim (1809-1810) in jali-thuluth script. It reads:

“God, there is no god but He, the Lord of His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Lord of all that has been created.” 

'God, there is no god but He' affirms Allah's Oneness; that which is One is essentially alone (wahid), indivisible (‘ahad) and sole (farid) and these qualities manifest as singleness, wholeness, and uniqueness. Mustafa Râkim was born in Unye on the Black Sea in 1758. When he was very young, his father, Mehmed Kaptan, took him to Istanbul to live with his brother, İsmail Zühdi Efendi, who was an established calligrapher. After Ismail was appointed as an instructor of calligraphy at the Imperial Palace, the young Râkim received his formal training there studying under his brother. Mustafa Râkim would become Ismail Zühidi's most celebrated pupil. Ismail Zühidi and Mustafa Râkim went on to develop their own style of calligraphy based on the work of Hâfiz Osman. They were able to develop a style of jali-thuluth that was aesthetically pleasing, something that other calligraphers had not been able to do. Râkim also reformed the calligraphic shape of the tughra

script. With the revolutionary changes brought about in calligraphy by Mustafa Râkim, scholars treat Turkish calligraphic art history into two key eras: "Pre-Râkim" and "Post-Râkim". He was able to accomplish what nobody before him could in the jali-thuluth script and tughras of sultans. By finding the ideal measurement between the letter thickness and pen (writing tool) thickness, he established the style and form for the ideal beauty of tughras. He is regarded as the first great Turkish painter in the Western sense of painting. His bird, parrot, painting is considered to be the first realist work of Turkish painting. He drew a portrait of Sultan Selim III who was amazed by his work and recited a poem in his honor in return.

Details

· Country of Origin: Ottoman Turkey

· Time Period: Early 1800s.

· Artist: Mustafa Râkim

· Size: Approximately 46 x 34 cm (including frame)

· Print: High-quality matte print and detail finishing

· Frame: Wood frame with a gold finish