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Mawlana Farīd al-Dīn Jaʿfar b. ʿAlī Tabrīzī Baysunghurī (Floruit 1412–1433), better known as Jaʿfar Tabrīzī (), and also as Qeblat al-Kottāb,Bayani, M. Ahvāl-o Āsār-e Khoshnevīsān, (Tehran, 1363/1984), 115. was an calligrapher and master of nastaliq script.
A unique report (Pers. ‛arẓadāsht) from c. 1429 preserved in Topkapı Palace Library (H2153, f.98a) gives us a glimpse into how this royal book atelier functioned. Ja‛far was in charge of forty calligraphers, who were housed in a special building within the palace precinct together with painters. The document is a progress report from Ja‛far to his patron Baysunghur and describes several manuscripts in progress, with informations about the names of the artists (calligraphers, illuminators, frame decorators, binders) involved in each project. According to report calligraphers also designed inscriptions and painters were responsible for decorated saddles, wall paintings and tents.
Following Baysunghur's death, Jaʿfar worked under the patronage of prince's son, Ala al-Dawla. He wrote poems portraying his court position at the service of Shahrukh, Baysunghur and Ala al-Dawla.Bayani, 117.
Ja‛far’s mastery of the six scripts, particularly thuluth, naskh and muhaqqaq, is evident in the specimens of his calligraphy preserved in several muraqqa (e.g. Topkapı Palace Library, H. 2153, fols 27r, 58r, 160v). His smooth nastaliq is typical of early examples of the script in which the individual graphic units are placed at a 30° angle to the horizontal writing line. Both rhythm and spacing are tightly controlled. Controlled, albeit noticeable, variation in the thickness of the stroke also characterizes Jaʿfar’s writing as well as an elongated and slightly curved upper ascending stroke of the Gaf. These upper strokes of the kaf are often placed at a wider angle than the other diagonal strokes. According to Simon Rettig "These features define in fact the nastaliq of Jaʿfar at Herat when he achieved what would be later regarded as the first «classical form» of nastaliq". Ja‛far’s nastaliq did not reach the fluidity shown by Sultan Ali Mashhadi nor the elegance achieved by the next generation of nastaliq calligraphers trained by Ja‛far in Herat, such as Shaykh Mahmud Zarin–qalam (floruit 1442–66) and Maulana Azhar (fl 1421–72). Another important student of Ja‛far was ‛Abdallah Tabbakh (fl 1429–61).
Style of nastaliq created by Ja‛far in Herat achieved its classical form under Sultan Ali Mashhadi, a student of Maulana Azhar (or perhaps one of Azhar’s students). Shortly after Ja‛far's death a different style of nastaliq developed in western and southern Iran. It was associated with ʿAbd al-Rahman Khwarazmi, the calligrapher of the Pir Budaq Qara Qoyunlu (1456–1466) and after him was followed by his children, ʿAbd al-Karim Khwarazmi and ʿAbd al-Rahim Anisi (both active at the court of Ya'qub Beg Aq Qoyunlu; 1478–1490). This more angular western Iranian style was largely dominant at the beginning of the Safavid Iran, but then lost to the style canonized by Sultan Ali Mashhadi. Therefore Ja‛far becomes first master of a style, which dominated all subsequent writing in nastaliq.
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