Arghun al-Kamili
d. 1349
Arghun ibn Abdallah al-Kamili was a Qur'an copyist of Ilkhanid Baghdad. He is traditionally listed among the pupils of Yaqut al-Musta'simi, the group Persian sources call the 'seven masters'. Persian sources say his signed works are dated between 700 and 745 AH (1300–1345) and that he lived until about 750 AH. Dated Qur'ans in his hand include one of Ramadan 720 AH (October 1320) in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul, one of 738 AH (1337) in the Bayezit Library, and one of 741 AH (1340–41), again in Istanbul. Several were illuminated by Muhammad ibn Sayf al-Din al-Naqqash, and the Morgan Library in New York holds a Qur'an of his in rayhan and naskh. Little is recorded about his life beyond these signed books.
Achievements
- Counted among the traditional 'seven masters', the pupils of Yaqut al-Musta'simi.
- Signed works dated between 700 and 745 AH (1300–1345).
- Copied a Qur'an dated Ramadan 720 AH (October 1320), now in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul (K. 202).
- Worked repeatedly with the illuminator Muhammad ibn Sayf al-Din al-Naqqash, for Qur'ans of c. 1335 (Chester Beatty 1498), 738 AH (1337) and 741 AH (1340–41).
- A Qur'an of his in rayhan and naskh is in the Morgan Library, New York (M.840).
Taught by: Yaqut al-Musta'simi
His work
early 14th century · Morgan Library & Museum, New York
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
about 1335 · private collection
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
1320–1321 · Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, Istanbul
Photo: Francesco Bini, Wikimedia Commons (Periodo ilkhanide, argun bin abdullah kamili calligrafo, manoscritto del corano, 1320-21 (720 egira).jpg), CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
1325 · Museum of Islamic Art, Doha
Photo: Francesco Bini, Wikimedia Commons (Arghun al kamili (copista) e muhammad ibn sayf al-din al-baghdadi (miniatore), corano ilkhanide monumentale, prob. baghdad 1325.jpg), CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
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Sources
- identity wikidata.org
- full name, works signed 700–745 AH, lived to c. 750 AH, pupil of Yaqut, one of the seven masters (Fazaeli) fa.wikipedia.org
- listed among Yaqut's seven pupils fa.wikipedia.org
- (after D. James) dated Qur'ans 720/1320, c. 1335 (CBL 1498), 738/1337, 741/1340-41 with illuminator Muhammad ibn Sayf al-Din al-Naqqash craftsofiraq.uvic.ca
- Morgan M.840 record: copied by Abd Allah Arghun al-Kamili, rayhan and naskh commons.wikimedia.org
Written by the MASHQ studio · last updated 2026-10-05. Further reading, the standard references in English: Sheila S. Blair, Islamic Calligraphy (Edinburgh University Press, 2006) · Annemarie Schimmel, Calligraphy and Islamic Culture (New York University Press, 1984) · Yasin Hamid Safadi, Islamic Calligraphy (Thames and Hudson, 1978).