Album Folio with Three Specimens of Calligraphy

This folio belongs to one of the well-known albums commissioned by Antoine Polier, a Swiss military engineer of the British East India Company sent to the court of the Nawab of Awadh in northern India. Their compilation and decoration were overseen by the leading artist at the Awadh court, Mihr Chand. The distinctive floral border and unusually large size of this folio are notable features of the Polier albums. The three calligraphic panels written in the nastaʿliq style comprise verses that praise virtues (center), labor (right), and the richness of life (left).