A friend's letter

A letter composed for a friend, in Persian written in shikastah-nasta'liq script with four bayts (verses) of a lyrical poem (ghazal) from Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" from 19th Cent Iran. Dimensions of Written Surface: 5.8 (h) x 11.9 (w) cm The text is written in small black shikastah-nasta'liq script on a piece of paper painted in light brown in such a manner that it looks like papyrus, bark, or bamboo. The text panel is pasted directly onto a purple sheet of paper backed by cardboard. Although the letter is neither signed nor dated, it appears to have executed in Persia (Iran) during the 17th-18th centuries. This calligraphic fragment consists in a letter composed by a man to his friend. At the top, the letter is initiated by four bayts (verses) from a lyrical poem (ghazal) that advises men to be good and not engage in evil deeds (siyah kar). These lines are written in smaller script in diagonal and separated into four columns. The letter then proceeds horizontally. The correspondent apologizes for not having written in a long time. In the middle of his letter, he also includes verses from Firdawsi's "Shahnamah" that bear an eschatological character. They promote the fear of God and the Day of Judgment. Script: shikastah-nasta'liq 1-84-154.52