Mizânü'l-hatt (Measurement of calligraphy). Hakkâk-zâde Mustafa Hilmi Efendi. Prep. by Abdülkadir Dedeoglu. Illuminated by Sâim Okan.

Fine English Original dark green cloth bdg. Folio. (35 x 25 cm). In Turkish, and English and French abstract. [160] p., color plates. This book consists of the examples of the Islamic calligraphy; and it is the facsimile of a manuscript in 'Millet Library' in Istanbul. The famous work which was written by Hakkâkzâde Mustafa Hilmi Efendi in the first half of the XIX. century under the title of 'Mizanü'l-hatt alâ vaz'i'i-üstâdi's-selef' is a collection composed odf six booklets about the art of calligraphy. One of the booklets in this collection whic was written by Hakkâkzâde is also mentioned as the title of this said collection. The titles are also gilded in with flower-bouquets in baroque style and the spaces between lines on some pages are adorned with stylish flower motifs. The margins on all pages are linet in gold. The verses of the holy Quran, hadiths and some significant sentences as well words are written in red ink. The paper is well-finished dark cihickpea colour. As it is understood from the information at the end of it, the work was written in 1266 Hegira / 1849 AD in the personal handwriting of the Mustafa Hilmi Effendy. He is well-known with the title of 'Hakkâkzâde' (Literally meaning Mc Engraver). There is not much information about his past generation. He received lessons from Hattat Ömer Vasfi Efendi great master of 'Nakshi' and Sülüs (Thülüs; a style of Arabic script), who is famous under the name of 'Lâz Ömer'. He gave lessons in calligraphy for a long time first in 1235 (Hegira) / 1819 (AD) in the school of Naksidil Valide Sultan the mother of Sultan Mahmoud the second-in Fatih, and thereafter as the second teacher in the School of Bezm-i Âlem Valide Ssultan -the mother of Sultan Abdülmecid -near Çemberlitas. Habib Efendi mentions in his book under the title of 'Hatt ve hattatân' that Mustafa Hilmi Efendi had written there copies of 'Mushaf-i Serif (The Glorious Quran) for Sultan Mahmoud the Second, receiving His Excellency's compliments. Also, the author adds that he had copied out 200 copies of the Glorious Quran. - [Le fameux travail de Hakkâkzâde Mustafa Hilmi Efendi etait ecrit dans le premiere partie du XIX. siecle. Cet oeuvre est forme de six livres sur l'art de la calligraphie. Mustafa Hilmi Efendi est mort en 1852 et sa tombe se trouve a Istanbul. Ce livre est le facsimile du manuscrit qui se trouve a la Bibliotheque de la Nation, Istanbul. (On Haqqak-zade see Huart 191, Inal, Son hattatlar p. 213 and Sevket Rado p. 208).