Science and Art of Calligraphy and Painting

Author(s): S Andhare
Publisher: Indian National Science Academy

Page 62

Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandie
32
Kalamdan :
1674 Box for keeping writting material.
Along with the discovery of writing material there arose a necessity for keeping the writing material in a box and secondly, for carrying it form one place to the other. Two types of Kalamdans came in to use. One was a portable box while the other was intended to be placed on a writing desk in an office or commercial establishment.
Kalamdan perhats originated in Persia and came to India in the Mughal period when both the Hindus and the Muslims. encouraged calliagraphy. At this time the technique of writing and painting had reached the zenith of perfection. Mughal kalamdans (Fig 1) were made of steel by the smiths and were decorated with damascened work of gold. Bider, in the Deccan was a center for bidriware which produced kalamdans of gun metal inlaied with silver wire. Kashmiri kalamdans were made of papir mache manly, and were decorated with intricate floral motifs. (Fig 2,3)
Fig 1