Calligraphed scorpion, mid-19th c, attributed to Bahadur Shah Zafar: It reads: نیش عقرب نه از ره کینه است مقتضای طبیعتش این است ”Scorpion’s stinging is not out of aversion. It is [unintentionally] required by his nature.” A CALLIGRAPHIC COMPOSITION ATTRIBUTABLE TO BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR, INDIA, MID 19TH CENTURY Ink and gouache on paper, the calligraphy playfully arranged in the form of a scorpion on green speckled ground, the outline with feelers, eyes, legs and tail all drawn in brown around, with plain red outer rule, later inscription below, some losses 12 x 9in. (31 x 22.5cm.) Mughal Library
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