'Ali ibn Abi Talib - Incipit with illuminated Headpiece - Walters W5792B - Full Page

Walters manuscript W.579 opens with an illuminated headpiece containing a cartouche with the doxological formula (basmalah) in Tawqi' script. Fluid and curvilinear, Tawqi' script is used for headings and rarely used for the main text. As seen here, while having inscribed the headpiece with Tawqi', the scribe wrote the main text in alternating black Naskh and gold Thuluth. The Naskh panels are framed by medallions with a gold-tooled outline. The contours of the Thuluth lines are decorated with blue tendrils over a ground of red hatched lines. Gold rosettes mark the verse endings. The stamp in the right margin is the personal seal of the Vizier 'Ali Pasha, who gave the manuscript to an educational charity in 1130 AH/AD 1717.