Calligraphic Exercise Showing Measurements of Individual Letters

Created in the Ottoman Empire during the 18th or 19th century, this calligraphic exercise sheet demonstrates the rigorous technical and spiritual discipline that an Arabic calligrapher underwent to refine their craft and earn a license (ijazah) as a master. Exercise sheets like this are known in Turkish as karalama, meaning "black scribblings," a term that partly refers to the practice of rotating the page multiple times to completely fill the surface, creating a layered and darkened texture. A similar tradition exists in Persian calligraphy, known as siyah mashq, but the two differ slightly in aesthetic effect. While siyah mashq often emphasizes repetition and structured composition, Ottoman karalama is distinguished by its musicality, with superimposed lines that flow and dissolve into one another.

Master calligraphers consider themselves lifelong learners and also use this practice to steady the hand, refine letter shapes, experiment with new tools, and map out overall compositions. With measurements surrounding each letter, this sheet's creator appears to have used it to determine the appropriate size of script for a final work. Karalama was not merely a technical exercise but also a meditative practice—one through which calligraphers could contemplate sacred truths by engaging with the form and symbolism of letters.

Beginning in the 16th century, Ottoman karalama and Persian siyah mashq began to be regarded as artworks in their own right. This shift coincided with the rise of well-known master calligraphers whose work was deemed valuable by wealthy patrons. Over time, these sheets sometimes took on more of a formal quality, produced as individual pages that were signed, dated, and illuminated with decorative borders. While the exact context of this exercise sheet is unknown, its ornate border suggests that it may have once been part of a royal album or a curated collection.