Three calligraphic exercises, 
Qajar Iran and later, 
The first, dated AH1338/1919AD, one line of...

Three calligraphic exercises, 
Qajar Iran and later, 

The first, dated AH1338/1919AD, one line of bold nasta'liq script in black ink framed by two lines of script above and below, in the centre: ‘This too shall pass’, surrounding text: states it was copied out on ‘29 Muharram 1338 [24 October 1919]’, possibly by Afkham al-Molk (?) in the court of Muhajjar Kazim Nouri (?), embossed-headed with a lion-and-sun seal ; the second, dated AH1339/1921AD, 4ll. of nasta'liq script in black ink on dark brown paper, verse attributed to Nizami, a note stating it was ‘copied out by Ni’matullah Nuri, God forgive him, in the year 1339 [h.; 1920/1]', smaller script at the bottom is illegible; the third, a calligraphic panel with two lines of larger nasta'liq script above a small exercise in shikasteh script within cloud bands within thin polychrome rules, laid on card within laid deep burgundy margins, wide plain borders, annotation in loose nasta'liq script to the upper left corner, some staining, the reverse with another note in loose nasta'liq script in black ink, farsi numeral 1491 in pencil to top, slight traces of previous binding glue, together with a painting of a drumming lady, Qajar or Qajar revival style, opaque and transparent pigments on paper, crude laid margins, on card 

21.4 x 27.4cm., 19 x 15.2cm., 25.5 x 17.4cm., 34.5 x 22.6cm.

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Provenance: Formerly in the private collection of 'Abd al-Wahhab Khan, Nizam ul-Mulk (1848-1916) and thence by descent in the early 20th century to a private London collection