| History
of Shekasteh Script |
In Iran, where several millennia of artistic activity have
given birth to myriad examples of this intelligent and
ingenious nation's genius, writing has ever enjoyed a
particular status. Writing is the oldest mean through
which man's spiritual and cultural acquisitions were
transmitted from generation to generation. In the course
of time, this art found applications in various domains,
appearing as a decorative element on carved stone panels
and monument facades, terra cotta vessels, wood,
fabric,...
The latest achievement in this domain was the invention by
Iranian calligraphers of "Shekasteh Script",
as a decorative Nastaliq, in 17th century AD. It was first
designed by "Morteza Qoli Khan Shamlou and later
systematized by Mohammad Shafi Hosseini, who signed "Shafia",
but it reached to the top of its perfection a few decade
later, with the advent of great genius Abdolmajid Taleqani
(Dervish). He, besides devoting his stupendous creativity
to perfect this exquisite script, also manifested
considerable literary capabilities, leaving behind
valuable works in this domain.
Dervish Abdolmajid Taleqani was born in 1737 AD. This
illustrious artist spent his childhood in his native
village, Mehran, near Taleqan, where he received his
elementary schooling in local traditional school, "Maktab
Khaneh".
He left his birthplace to perfect his talent. His
childhood coincided with the decline of Safavid rule, when
Iran faced with various difficulties in terms of economic
stability and social order, which prevented the emergence
of artistic creativity or the flourishing of arts.
The country's chaotic situation at the time, compounded by
young artist's indigence and lack of a tutor, prevents any
rational inquiry to be made about this great man's motive
and private developments. Indeed, in an era when, for want
of adequate means of transportation and communication,
people rarely left their towns, perhaps only for trading
purposes with nearby villages, why would Dervish leave his
birthplace for Qazvin, then Shiraz, and eventually Isfahan?
Undoubtedly, many researchers are eager to identify the
motives of this emigration, undertaken in difficult
conditions prevailing in Iran some two hundred and fifty
years ago. Apparently, the only way out of this quandary,
which we owe to the negligence of past biographers, is to
turn to narratives about him that are scattered among the
pages of various sources and the scarce fragments he has
left behind.
Evidence shows that ever since his childhood, he possessed
great intelligence, extraordinary talent, grandeur of soul
and genius, which enabled him to acquire fame among the
great scientific, literary and spiritual figures of his
time, captivate the attention of literary men by his poems
and discourses, and elicit the wonderment of men of art by
his calligraphy.
He spent some time in Shiraz, capital city of Love and
Literature, while his poetic talent developed through the
frequentation of such eminent figures as Lotf Ali Beig
Azar, Asheq Moshtaq and Hatif Isfahani. Soon he created
sublime poems, which he signed either "Majid" or
"Khamoush", while continuing to astonish all
those around him, with the magic that flowed from his able
fingers. Thus, his fame soon reaches Isfahan, capital city
and cradle of civilization of the time, where every street
held a treasure of artistic wonders, and where the most
illustrious artists of realm were gathered.
Nevertheless, his fame soon crossed the gates of Isfahan,
and he created masterpieces the like of which have rarely
been produced by any artist. His personal virtuousness,
his upright character and innate modesty, kept this
untiring genius apart from worldly interest. Hence, in his
writing about life, he has praised and given true meaning
to his appellation of "Dervish".
Elsewhere, in a superb album preserved in Reza Abbasi
Museum, Tehran, Iran, he has left behind stupendous
examples, in "Qobar Script", of his
magic. In a corner of a page, bemoaning the unfairness of
the world, he has written most emphatically "I write
and I write and I write and for it to remain in history
that poor Abdolmajid preferred pardon to vengeance".
This shows that he was firmly committed to upright virtues
and that he had acquired the certainly that his
"ideas" and "calligraphy" were part of
history.
This type of writing, dedicated by way of acknowledgement
and gratitude to such prominent figures as Lotf Ali Beig
Azar, who supported him both financially and spiritually,
appear miracles beyond the capability of any human being.
It is related that emulating the manner of Mir Emad
Hassani, Dervish perfected his Nastaliq penmanship while
in his twenties, so much so that it was said "He has
equaled his master's writing".
The veracity of this heavy claim is verified by his early
works, when he emulated Shafia, un which most of words
were written in Shekasteh Script. He thereafter
devoted his efforts to this script, spending part of the
last 15 years of his life imitating Shafia's works. Very
soon, he surpassed all of the masters, who had written in
this manner before him.
Although he always praised such great men as Morteza Qoli
Khan Shamlou, Shafia and Mirza Hossein Kermani, he
himself, in the short last years of his life, created
masterful compositions of letters and words that made Shekasteh
immortal, and one can daringly affirm that the evolution
of this script during this brief period, which may not
exceed 10 years, equaled its entire development over a
period of 5 centuries, with all the alternations initiated
in Nastaliq by a line of master calligraphers ranging from
Mir Emad Heravi to Mirza Kalhor.
Mirza Kouchek Isfahani, Mohammad Reza Isfahani, Mirza
Hassan Isfahani, Mirza Qolam Reza Isfahani and at the end
of this period, the venerated Seyed Golestaneh (1901),
each of whom may be considered a flag-bearer of this
script, all followed his way, whether directly or
indirectly, studying the magic of his pen and paying
homage to his brilliant genius.
Although stricken with malaria in the last years of his
life, he produced a multitude of calligraphic pages,
albums and poetic collections and anthologies, while at
the top of his art. These included "Collection of
Hafiz' Poems", "Golestan Raz",
"Collection of Sadi" and "Boustan Sadi",
which today adorn museums in Iran and abroad.
Dervish died of his disease at the age of 35 in Isfahan
and was humbly buried near "Tekyeh Mir" in
"Takht Poulad Cemetery".
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