Decorated Folio

Unknown

16th–18th century · Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

This unfinished page has been fabricated by use of a stencil, which was used to create the undulating floral and arabesque motifs in gold and black around the perimeter of the page. The craftsman has further adorned this folio with bands of dyed blue and orange paper outlining the central void. Pages like this originally framed paintings, drawings, or samples of calligraphy, which would have been included in an album or manuscript. This part of the page illustrates how folios were built up with layers of paper.

Artist

Unknown

Date

16th–18th century

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, in loving memory of her husband, Professor Maan Z. Madina, 2019