A Highly Gilt, Stunning, Beautiful Old Hilya

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A Highly Gilt, Stunning, Beautiful Old Hilya :
$390.00

A Highly Gilt, Stunning, Beautiful Old Hilya. Most Likely a Copy of an Earlier Piece. An original of this Hilya sells for $50,000.00 or more. I am selling this copy rather reasonably.

Here is adefinition of a hilya:

The hilya or \"adornment\" is acalligraphic portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad according to a traditionalArabic account of his physical appearance. This brief description, mostcommonly in the version of Muhammad\'s cousin and son-in-law `Ali, begins with asimple and straightforward physical description, stressing his normal yethighly attractive appearance. It then moves into impressions of his characterand his charismatic personality.

This remarkable example of Islamic artindicates one way in which believers approach the Muhammad of faith. As anartistic creation, it is a calligraphic icon that represents the physicalperson of the Prophet without crossing over into a visual portrait. ManyMuslims used this artifact as a devotional aid.

Typically, the description of Muhammad iscontained within a main circular disk that is the heart of the composition,which frequently has a slim lunar crescent surrounding the circle, recallingthe description of the Prophet as the primordial light of the world. Foursmaller disks containing the names of Muhammad\'s principal successors remindthe viewer of the role of tradition in transmitting his legacy. In a section atthe top in large letters are the words \"In the name of God, the Merciful,the Compassionate,\" the phrase that begins nearly every section of theQur\'an. Highlighted below the text is a phrase from the Qur\'an in which Godannounces the universal role of Muhammad: \"Truly, you are great incharacter\" (Qur\'an 68:4). The framing of this description by God’s words,proclaiming the cosmic role of the Prophet, signals the unique spiritualposition that Muhammad holds. The section at the bottom of the compositioncontains the portion of the hilya text that spills over from the disk above,followed by prayers and blessings on the Prophet, together with the signatureof the calligrapher.

The calligraphy of the Arabic text follows theclassical naskh and thuluth styles, with long and graceful lines.

Text ofthis particular hilya, which we are offering for sale:

Topsection, which is written in thuluth script, reads: \"In the Name of God, the Merciful,the Compassionate\"

Middlesection, which is written in naskhi script, reads: \"It is reported on the authority of`Ali, may God be pleased with him, when he used to describe the Prophet, mayGod bless him and grant him peace, he said:\"He was not excessively tall nor overly short, but was of mediumstature among the people. His hair was neither short and curly nor long andthin. He was a strong man, but not stout or fat. His face was entirely whiteand round, and he had intensely black eyes and long eyelashes. He was big inthe shoulders and back. He was not hairy except on his chest, and he had hardhands and feet. When he walked, he pulled himself forward as though he werewalking downhill, and when he turned, he turned his whole body. Between hisshoulder blades was the seal of prophecy, for he is the Seal of theProphets.\"

The four cornercircle of this section read: Abu Bakr (upper right), `Umar (upperleft), `Uthman (lower right), and `Ali (lower left). They are the names of thefirst four Caliphs or successors to the Prophet Muhammad, i.e., Each diskcontains in small letters the blessing, “May God be pleased with him.”

Lowersection, where the first line is in thuluth script, the rest is in naskhiscript. The first line reads: \"Truly, you are great incharacter\" (Qur\'an 68:4). Followedby seven diagonal lines which read: Hewas the most generous of men in his heart, the most truthful of them in speech,the mildest of them in temper, and the noblest of them in descent. Anyone whosaw him immediately felt awe, and anyone who partook of his knowledge lovedhim. He said this about him: I havenever seen anyone like him, either before or after him. May God bless him andgrant him peace.

The lasthorizontal line reads: It is written bythe insignificant, sinful, worshipper of God Ahmad, may God forgive his sins,wipe out his shortcomings. Amen.

The hilysis written on a thick paper board. The hilya measures: 9.75 x 15.5 inches.

Please note the festivity of color and design in this piece. It is one of the most colorfully pleasing to the eye. [code:H03]

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