Ghalamkar, Cotton Fabric Painted With Kalam, Circa 1930–1950, Scenes From *one Thousand And One Nights*, Iran

"Hand-painted fabric using the kalam, Ghalamkar,"

158 cm x 235 cm,
From Iran,
Persia, circa 1950,
very good condition,
thick cotton

Large, thick cotton cloth, hand-painted with a kalam, circa 1950, Iran (Persia), known as Ghalamkar.

The design features scenes inspired by the tales of *One Thousand and One Nights*, as depicted in the miniatures of the Tabriz or Isfahan schools.
The borders are highly intricate.
Very vibrant colors: blues and reds on an ivory background.
The piece is in perfect condition, suitable for wall hanging, a bedspread, or curtains.

Ghalamkar is a hand-painted fabric.
There are many translations of the word “ghalamkar”: “painted with a pen,” “pen and ink,” “pen drawing”—the meaning is always the same.
Whether using brushes, a kalam (a reed sharpened to a point), or a carved wooden block as is done today, it is the human hand that guides the tool.

Reference was made to painted canvases, not printed fabrics.
The painter had a limited set of materials at his disposal: reeds or kalams.

A word of Persian origin, meaning “work with a pen,” which gave rise to the Greek term kalamos, meaning “reed.”
It is a tool used in Iran for ghalamkar and in India to create kalamkari. 
The shapes vary: some are beveled, while others, with a flattened tip, were used like a paintbrush.
Depending on how it was shaped, the kalam allowed for drawing lines with nuances and gradations.
The translation of the word reveals the secret behind this technique: drawing painted with a pen.
It was under Safavid rule, in the 16th century, that ghalamkar reached its highest level of quality.

Artists and artisans developed this craft in the city of Isfahan (Ispahan).
Even today, printed cotton fabrics are displayed in the shops lining Naghsh-e-Jahan Square and in the stalls of the Grand Bazaar.

Dimensions: width: 158 cm (62") x length: 235 cm (92")
FREE SHIPPING TO FRANCE

as with all our items & rugs, large and small!!!
FRANCE €0 / EUROPE €15 / WORLD 25 €
For more information, please feel free to contact me at 06 13 36 09 30 or at winsteinprovence@gmail.com
www.winsteinprovence.com
Text and photos by WINSTEIN, all rights reserved

ref winstein 1582
Price: 840 €
Period: 20th century
Style: Orientalist
Condition: Perfect condition
Material:Fabric
Length: 235 cm - 92"
Width: 158 cm - 62"

WINSTEIN
Collectible and semi-antique rugs, world artifacts, paintings
La Tour - Rue des Remparts
Revest-du-Bion 04 150, France
00 33 (0)6 13 36 09 30

"Made in Iran" (or its equivalent in Persian) on manufactured goods became widespread starting in the 20th century, in connection with the international standardization of customs origin markings and the development of local industry under the Pahlavi dynasty, followed by stricter regulation after the 1979 revolution.