Sadi5

Script: nasta'liq These calligraphic fragments are the first seven pages of Sa'di's Bustan (The Fruit Garden or The Orchard). The order of the first seven pages of this work all belonging to the same manuscript goes as follows: Page 1: 1-04-713.19.26, Page 2: 1-04-713.19.15, Page 3: 1-04-713.19.14, Page 4: 1-04-713.19.12, Page 5: 1-04-713.19.13, Page 6: 1-04-713.19.11, Page 7: 1-04-713.19.25 Page 5: The sixth and seventh lines of poetry eulogize the incomprehensible qualities of God: Genius reaches not the substance of His nature, / Thought reaches not the profundity of His qualities. / One can attain to (the Arab poet) Suhban in eloquence, / (But) one cannot reach the substance of the Praised One (God). This copy of the Bustan may have been produced in India during the 17th century. The back of the second page (1-04-713.19.15) of this series includes a note supporting this provenance, as it states that the work was written by 'Abd al-Rashid Daylami. He was one of the famous calligraphers active at the court of the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1656) in Agra and Delhi.