Muhammad Husayn al-Katib (Zarrinqalam) (about 1560¬–1620)
Page of calligraphy
Late 16th–early 17th century
Album leaf; ink, colors, and gold on paper
H. 8 3/ 4 x 4 in. (20 x 10 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Richard S. Perkins, Ehsan Yarshater and Patti Birch, in memory of Everett B. Birch, Gifts, 1993, 1993.380

In Islamic art, calligraphy is a venerated art form. It recalls the Prophet Muhammad’s original transcription of the word of God in the Qur’an, the Islamic holy book. This page is written in nastali'q script, a form that originated in Iran and was adopted by the Mughal ateliers. The calligrapher, Muhammad Husayn al-Katib, was a noted member of the Mughal emperor Akbar's atelier. Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605) prized his talent so much that he honored the calligrapher with the title Zarrinqalam or "golden pen."