Bidspirit auction | AN OTTOMAN GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL CALLIGRAPHER'S

AN OTTOMAN GOLD-DAMASCENED STEEL CALLIGRAPHER'S SCISSORS. - A fine pair of Ottoman steel calligrapher's scissors, richly decorated with gold damascening (koftgari) in the form of intricate scrolling foliate arabesques extending along one blade and around the pivot. The long tapering blades are forged for the precise cutting of paper, while the elegant openwork handles terminate in decorative scalloped finger rings, characteristic of Ottoman scribal implements. Such scissors would have formed part of a calligrapher's writing set (takım), used alongside reed pens, penknives and inkwells in the preparation of manuscripts, Qur'anic texts and official documents. L: Approximately 25.5cm