Siyah mashq
| Siyah Mashq | |
|---|---|
 This calligraphic fragment, created in the 16th or 17th century, recalls a number of Safavid exercises. | |
| Year | c. 1600 |
| Medium | Calligraphic practice sheets |
Siyah mashq (Persian: سیاه مشق), lit. "black practice," are calligraphic practice sheets often covered completely with writing.[1] They may include a number of diagonal words and letters used in combinations facing upwards and downwards on the folio. Siyah mashq was originally just a practice for the calligrapher to warm up his hand and to refine the shape of letters by repeating them over and over. These practices resulted in a page filled with words and letters. When calligraphers realised how stunning some of these pieces were, it was turned into a style of its own. Words and letters are repeated regardless of meaning, all for the sake of composition and style.
As an established
References
- ^ "Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
External links
- Siyah Mashq from the World Digital Library
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