Scissors
- Culture
- Turkish
- Period
- Ottoman period, 1281–1924
- Date
- late 18th to early 19th century
- Material
- Steel with gold overlay and brass
- Classification
- Metalwork, tools & equipment
- Collection
- Islamic Art
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 120
- Dimensions
- height: 1/4 in. (0.6 cm)
width: 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
depth: 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm) - Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Rights
- Public Domain
- Object Number
- 44:1925
NOTES
In the Islamic world, one of the most highly valued arts is calligraphy. This pair of calligrapher's scissors is associated with the art of bookmaking.
Muslims believe that the Qur’an is literally the word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic, so the Arabic language has always been held in the highest esteem. Artists have also created beautiful calligraphy in other languages, such as Persian and Turkish, that have been written in the Arabic script. Thus, all types of secular and religious texts reflect a delight in playing with the artistic possibilities of the letters. Calligraphy is not restricted to paper and parchment, and can be found in every medium, including ceramics, metalwork and textiles.
Muslims believe that the Qur’an is literally the word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic, so the Arabic language has always been held in the highest esteem. Artists have also created beautiful calligraphy in other languages, such as Persian and Turkish, that have been written in the Arabic script. Thus, all types of secular and religious texts reflect a delight in playing with the artistic possibilities of the letters. Calligraphy is not restricted to paper and parchment, and can be found in every medium, including ceramics, metalwork and textiles.
We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.