The Angels Who Pray for the King, Introduction (frontispiece painting, recto), Text (verso), folio 2 from a Manuscript of the Guy u Chawgan by `Arifi 1523

Editor: This is folio 2 from a Manuscript of the Guy u Chawgan by `Arifi, titled "The Angels Who Pray for the King," and the calligraphy is attributed to Mir Ali al Husayni. It's beautifully detailed, and the angels seem to float on the page. What's your take on this piece? Curator: I'm intrigued by the manuscript's materiality and the process of its creation. Consider the labor involved in preparing the parchment, grinding pigments, and executing the calligraphy. How does this painstaking production influence our understanding of the king's status and the social context of the manuscript's creation? Editor: So it's less about the angels themselves, and more about how the manuscript as an object signifies power and status? Curator: Precisely. The materials and the labor embedded within speak volumes about cultural values and consumption. It makes you think about the function of art beyond just aesthetics, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to consider. Thanks!