Page of Calligraphy from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite page of calligraphy comes from a luxurious manuscript of *Manti al-Tayr* (Language of the Birds), masterpiece of Persian Sufi poetry by the 12th–13th-century mystic Farid al-Din `Attar. Composed around 1177, the epic allegorically recounts birds embarking on a perilous quest for their divine king, the Simurgh,izing the soul's journey toward spiritual enlightenment. Produced in the 16th–17th—likely in the Safavid or Ottoman realms—this folio captures the enduring reverence for `Attar's work in Islamic literary and artistic traditions. The artistry shines in its masterful calligraphy, rendered in flowing naskh script with ink on paper, embellished by opaque watercolors, silver, and gold for a luminous effect. These precious metals elevated manuscripts like this to treasures of courtly patronage, blending precise textual fidelity with decorative illumination. Measuring 13 by 8½ inches overall, the text block is elegantly framed, inviting contemplation of profound mystical themes. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department (acquired via the Fletcher Fund in 1963), this codex page exemplifies how calligraphy served as a sacred art form, merging devotion, literature, and visual splendor in the Islamic world.