The art of découpage, or cut-out calligraphy, has been little studied by scholars for various reasons, including the scarcity of historical accounts, the relatively small number of available specimens, the dispersion of extant folios through collections worldwide and the difficulties of accurately identifying and describing this original art form. It is suspected that some collections might hold découpage specimens without being aware of it since they often highly resemble white or coloured handwriting on a darker background. It is also probable that the specimens preserved today in private or public collections in countries such as Iran have not yet been discovered and published.
This paper intends to study the materiality of this art form, fill in gaps in the knowledge of découpage calligraphy in Iran and shed light on its production through the examination of three works from collections located in Doha, Paris and Amsterdam
Couvrat Desvergnes, Amélie. (2021). Cut-Out Calligraphy from the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries: Discussion of Its Origins and Significance and Observations on the Techniques and Tools Used. Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World, Volume 2 (Issue 1-2), 3-31. https://doi.org/10.1163/26666286-12340016
