Untitled 

Curator: What strikes you first about this untitled piece by Sheikh Hamdullah? Editor: The marbling. It overwhelms me; the swirling patterns bleed into the structured text, as if order is constantly undermined. What materials were involved here, do we know? Curator: It seems the artist used watercolors on paper—perhaps toned or tea-stained. I notice it is not just the background marbling technique you describe but also what seems to be tile and textile design influence within the frame of the calligraphy. A visual layering of patterns! Editor: Interesting. The tea-staining particularly intrigues me. That's not just aesthetics, that’s altering the material, almost aging it before time. Was that a common practice then, a means to cheaply antique works for increased social value? And look at the watercolour bleed—the making seems imprecise but clearly skilled. Curator: Possibly. In terms of symbolism, calligraphy holds immense weight in Islamic art; the careful script a direct representation of sacred text. And I am struck that the paper itself mimics swirling chaos, echoing both the beauty and ephemerality of life. What text does it frame here? I see Arabic letters, though I can not tell what passage. Editor: Exactly! The materiality is intrinsic to the symbolism. Imagine the expense of inks, the artisan labor, the preparation of the paper! How that reflects back on the power and sanctity invested in the word. Is there any indication of what workshops or guilds were connected to Sheikh Hamdullah? Curator: Sadly, our information about production circumstances here is limited, though scholars continue piecing together the historical context. For me, it evokes something profound—a kind of serene contemplation born from apparent chaos, bridging the divine word with the everyday materials it’s rendered on. Editor: I come back to the aging and layering—palimpsests layered over palimpsests. As though it is actively decaying but enduring even as it does. Curator: I agree, the artwork definitely captures my interest, how the materials of our tangible world give voice to what remains so essentially intangible. Editor: Indeed. For me, this speaks of time, labor, value – the unseen hands that breathe significance into every created piece.