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  • Jadval

    Jadval

    Jadval or “border” refers to the thin lines that surround the four sides of the text and separate it from the margins.  These lines come in different colors and are drawn by metal instruments known as qalam-e jadval (pens used for drawing borders).  Today, a European version of these pens, known as Terling, is used.  The thickness of the lines could be adjusted by turning a screw on the handle of the qalam-e jadval.

  • Zar-āfshān

    Zar-āfshān

    The scattering of tiny drops of gold or other colorful paint on a manuscript page or on its cover.

  • Page Numbers Added by Album Editor or Collector

    Page Numbers Added by Album Editor or Collector

  • Idem

    Idem

    Wa lahu is an Arabic phrase that means “also by him” or idem in Latin.  As seen by its use here, in manuscripts, it was used to show that what follows it is also by the previous author.  This phrase is usually used in collections of poetry or between short poems, and it is often written on a manuscript page as though it were the title of a poem.

Library of the Islamic Parliament of Iran.

Symmetry

Symmetry is a common aspect of Islamicate arts, but at times slight varieties are embedded in seemingly symmetrical pieces, either for the sake of variety itself or because differing sizes of letters and words, which are out of the control of the artist, would disrupt the symmetry of the page.  As such, despite their symmetrical appearance, there is rarely perfect symmetry in these works.  This is a rare form for a book that has come to be named by its shape, parvāneh-y (‘butterfly-shape’) or qaṭ‘ kashtī (‘vessel-shape’).  An archaic usage of kashtī (‘vessel’) is ‘drinking bowl.’