Page with illuminated calligraphy, Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad)

Ottoman calligraphers often demonstrated their skills by writing different styles and sizes of Arabic script on rectangular sheets of paper, which were then illuminated, mounted on pasteboard with colored and marbled papers, and assembled into accordion fold albums, known as muraqqaʿ. In this calligraphic panel containing Hadith, or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, the heading is written in black ink in the thuluth style of script and is paired with five small lines written in the naskh style. It is attributed to Yedikuleli Seyyid ʿAbdullâh Efendi (1670–1731), who studied under the famous Ottoman calligrapher, Hâfiz Osman (1642–1698), and served as court calligrapher to Sultan Ahmed III (r. 1703–1730). The reverse side contains marbled paper with swirling heart-shaped designs in two shades of green.