Moral lessons through bird stories

Moral lessons through bird stories written in the Shikastah-Nasta'liq by the calligrapher Muhammad Valikhan Khattat, Qajar era. Dimensions of Written Surface: 18 (w) x 9 (h) cm These moralizing verses are written both vertically and horizontally in black shikastah-nasta'liq script on a white piece of paper. The verses are divided by red lines. The text panel is pasted to a green piece of paper backed by cardboard and framed by a border heavily damaged by worm holes. In the lower right corner of the text panel, the calligrapher Muhammad Valikhan Khattat ("the calligrapher"), known as Chalaq ("the Speedy One"), has signed his work. He also notes that it was completed in 1260/1844. From this information, one may hypothesize that this certain Muhammad Valikhan Khattat was a swift writer active in Iran during the mid-19th century. This calligraphic fragment includes verses providing two separate stories whose protagonists are birds. The first narrative describes two falcons in the desert talking about whether to join the king. The smart one refuses because he notes that freedom is better than service, even to a royal patron. The second story describes a hunter about to shoot a small bird. The latter prays to God to save it, at which time the hunter begins to tremble and his arrow misses the bird. Through God's intercession, the prey is saved from an untimely death. Script: shikastah-nasta'liq 1-93-154.146b