Forty Centuries of Ink: Or, A chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curiosa together with some evidence respecting the evanescent character of most inks of to-day and an epitome of chemico-legal ink.Carvalho, David Nunes
History
Forty Centuries of Ink: Or, A chronological narrative concerning ink and its backgrounds, introducing incidental observations and deductions, parallels of time and color phenomena, bibliography, chemistry, poetical effusions, citations, anecdotes and curiosa together with some evidence respecting the evanescent character of most inks of to-day and an epitome of chemico-legal ink.
Carvalho, David Nunes
Ink
"This volume is a small folio, consisting of 134
pages, written in the most beautiful Nastilik
character, by the famous scribe Mohammed Hussein,
who, in consequence of his inimitable penmanship,
obtained the title of Zerin Kalm, or 'Pen of
Gold.' The leaves are of the softest Cashmirian
paper, and of such modest shades of green, blue,
brown, dove, and fawn colors, as never to offend
the eye by their glare, although richly powdered
with gold. The margins, which are broad, display
a great variety of chaste and beautiful delineations
in liquid gold, no two pages being alike. Some
are divided into compartments, others are in running
patterns, in all of which the illuminations
show the most correct, and at the same time fanciful
taste. Many are delineations of field sports,
which, though simple outlines of gold, are calculated
to afford the highest gratifications to the lover of
natural history, as well as the artist, from the
uncommon accuracy with which the forms of the
elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion, tiger, leopard,
panther, lynx, and other Asiatic animals are portrayed.
It appears, by the names which are inserted
at the bottom of the pages, that several
artists were employed in the composition and
combination of these ornaments, one for the landscape,
another for the animals, and a third for the
human figures, all of whom have given proofs of
superior merit. It would take almost a month to
inspect all the excellencies of this rare manuscript;
for, although so richly ornamented in gold, the
chaste colors of the ground prevent any glaring
obtrusion on the eye, and oblige the examiner to
place it in a particular point of light to see the
exquisite and minute beauties of the delineations.
The paintings, which are meant to illustrate the
subject of the book, are done in colors, and in the
center of the leaves.
"On the back of the first page are the autographs
of the Emperors of Hindustan, Jehangir
and his son Shajehan."
"No. 5. 'A Diwan i Shahi.' A Diwan or Collection
Odes by Shahi,' transcribed by the famous
penman Mir Ali, in Bokar<a1., A. D. 1534. (A. H. 940.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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