Chancery Document, folio from an album c. mid 16th century

Curator: The flowing script just makes me feel peaceful. It is quite lovely to behold. Editor: This is a Chancery Document, a folio from an album. The calligraphy is by Ikhtiyar al-Munshi, also known as Kamal al Din. It’s currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Curator: A chancery document! It looks more like poetry than paperwork. The framing border adds such a delightful ornamentation. Editor: Indeed, the materials used—ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper—speak to the value placed on official communication. Imagine the labor involved in its creation. Curator: Thinking about the hands that made it… the hopes or worries behind those words. It’s almost overwhelming! Editor: Absolutely, and its function as a document reminds us that even "art" is embedded in practical social relations. Curator: It truly blurs the lines between art and craft, doesn’t it? I love when art can do that. Editor: A necessary dissolution of boundaries, I think.