This pen rest or maqta is made from ivory pierce work. A calligrapher could use a pen rest to hold the pen steady while cutting the nib. The reed pen or the qalam, which is hollow, needs to be cut and its nib trimmed with a knife before it can be used. It is the main writing instrument used by Islamic calligraphers although bamboo or carved wooden pens were used for larger scripts. This pen rest probably belonged to a member of the mevlana convent or the Whirling Dervishes.
