Calligraphy, by Mi Guangjiang (Haji Noor Deen) (Chinese, born 1963), 2005. Hanging scroll; ink on paper. Gift of Haji Noor Deen, 2005.94.
Ceremonial bowl with Zoroastrian themes, approx. 1875. Iran. Silver alloy with zinc and copper. Acquisition made possible by the Zarthosti Anjuman of Northern California, Rati Forbes, Betty N. Alberts, and members of the board of the Society for Asian Art in honor of Past President Nazneen Spliedt, 2009.25.
Cheekpiece of a horse bridle in the form of a mythical creature, approx. 800-700 BCE. Iran; Luristan region. Bronze. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60B17+.
A kit’alar is a calligraphic work written on a rectangular piece of paper pasted onto a cardboard backing. In this lesson, students create a kit’alar composed of the initials of their first and last name in Arabic.
Students create a murakkaalar (calligraphy album) of their name and adjectives that describe their personality written in Arabic. They will make a calligraphy reed and learn to write with it. A kit’alar is a calligraphic work written on a rectangular piece of paper pasted onto a cardboard backing. Equal margins are left around the calligraphy in which the artist decorates with marbled paper (ebru) or illumination. A murrakkalar is a series of kit’alar attached together in an album that resembles an accordion.
Touraj Daryaee, Howard C. Baskerville Professor in the History of Iran and the Persianate World and the Associate Director of the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture at the University of California, Irvine, gives a talk to teachers about Cyrus the Great in conjunction with the Cyrus Cylinder exhibition at the Asian Art Museum (on view from August 9–September 22, 2013).
Decorated box owned by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, approx. 1660–1700. India, Gujarat state; Pakistan, Sindh province. Wood inlaid with ivory and tortoiseshell; overlaid carved ivory panels; interior compartments of sandalwood and velvet. Gift of the Kapany Collection, 1998.61.
Decorated pages intended for a Koran, approx. 1500. Turkey. Manuscript page; Gold and colors on paper. Gift of Elton L. Puffer, 2004.67.
When we consider acquiring an object for the Asian Art Museum’s collection, our first step is to focus a trained eye on it...
