Detail of the headpiece of a marriage certificate produced in September 2013. This commission includes geometric Islamic borders, birds and the watercolour headpiece shown here. More details to be posted soon. The Bismallah is in raised gold and the body of the certificate in italic calligraphy in English. Original work by artist and calligrapher Stewart J. Thomas. www.palmstone.com
Ketubah from Esfahan, Persia, 1840s, unknown artist
Note the sun figures rising from behind the lions – traditional Iranian theme, and parrots – still associated with Ketubim from Iran to Spain.
This is a draft of a design I created for a commissioned calligraphic painting of the last line of Khalil Gibran’s poem on marriage. For the actual painting I used a different layout of the calligraphy, which I will post at a later date. Original Arabic calligraphy by Stewart J. Thomas.
ليُحِبَّ أحدُكما الآخر، ولكن لا تجعلا من الحبِّ قيداً
بل اجعلاه بحراً مُتَدَفِّقاً بين شواطئ أرواحكما
Hand painted Muslim marriage certificate in Arabic. The border and interior illumination is done in watercolour, gouache, and metallic inks. The calligraphy at the top is the traditional invocation, “In the name of G-d the compassionate, the merciful.”
Arabic and English Marriage Certificate
This bilingual marriage certificate features Arabic and English calligraphy in side-by-side columns and a hand painted watercolour border inspired by Middle Eastern tile designs. Of note is the gold monogram created by intertwining the names of the newly wed couple. For more information on custom marriage certificates, visit palmstone.com