Description:

 A CALLIGRAPHY PANEL, SIGNED BY MOHAMMAD HUSSEIN, YEMEN, DATED 1192 AH / 1778 AD

Yemen, late 18th century

Description:
Ink, pigments, and gold on paper; a striking calligraphic composition in bold black thuluth script, set against a densely dotted red and black floral background. The text features the Islamic declaration of faith (Shahada) in the upper register — "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadun Rasul Allah" — and in the lower panel, a reference to "Ali Wali Allah" (“Ali is the friend of God”), commonly associated with Shi'a devotional texts. The composition is framed by red and black borders and includes a visible signature and date in the cartouche at the bottom, reading: “Katabahu Mohammad Hussein 1192 AH”.

 


Length x Width: 44 x 32.5cm

The use of bold, stylized thuluth combined with a vibrant decorative background of floral rosettes is typical of Yemeni manuscript and poster art of the late 18th century, often produced for devotional or architectural display. Works from Yemen in this period are relatively rare and demonstrate the regional interpretations of Ottoman, Persian, and Indian calligraphic traditions.

 

Comparable Examples:

  1. An 18th-century Yemeni calligraphic panel, ink and pigments on paper, auctioned at Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 26 April 2012, Lot 14, for £6,875.
    (Similar bold thuluth and red ground rosettes.)

  2. A Safavid-style Shi’a calligraphic panel referencing Ali, Iran, 18th century, sold at Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 10 April 2018, Lot 61, for £5,500.
    (Parallel in religious theme and stylised script.)

  3. A calligraphic poster from Yemen, late 18th/early 19th century, Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 1 May 2019, Lot 37, realised £7,250.
    (Densely dotted red background with Quranic phrases, though unsigned.)

Note:
Signed works from 18th-century Yemen are particularly prized due to the region's more limited manuscript production compared to centers like Istanbul or Isfahan. The inclusion of the Shi‘a devotional formula and dated signature enhances its scholarly and collector interest. Mohammad Hussein remains an uncommon but documented name among Yemeni calligraphers, adding further historical specificity.

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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