How to Read Islamic Calligraphy

How to Read Islamic Calligraphy

Author: Maryam D. Ekhtiar

Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Published: 2018-09-03

Total Pages: 159

ISBN-13: 1588396304

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"For centuries, Islamic calligraphy has mesmerized viewers with its beauty, sophistication, and seemingly endless variety of styles. How to Read Islamic Calligraphy offers new perspectives on this distinctive art form, using examples from The Met's superlative collections to explore the enduring preeminence of the written word as a means of creative expression throughout the Islamic world. Combining engaging, accessible texts with stunning new photography, How to Read Islamic Calligraphy introduces readers to the major Islamic script types and explains the various contexts, whether secular or sacred, in which each one came to be used. Beauty and brilliance emerge in equal measure from works of every medium, from lavishly illuminated Qur'an manuscripts, to glassware etched with poetic verses, to ceramic tiles brushed with benedictions. The sheer breadth of objects illustrated in these pages exemplifies the ubiquity of calligraphy, and provides a compelling introduction to this unique art form"--Publisher's description


Traces of the Calligrapher

Traces of the Calligrapher

Author: Mary McWilliams

Publisher: Museum Fine Arts Houston

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 110

ISBN-13:

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"Traces of the Calligrapher" reconstructs the intimate world of the calligrapher during the early modern period of Islamic culture, bringing together the "tools of the trade" - works in their own right that are rarely exhibited or published - and the exquisite art made with these functional objects in India, Iran, and Turkey. Drawn primarily from a prestigious private collection in Houston, the works in this fascinating book include pens, pen boxes, chests, tables, paper scissors, knives, burnishers, and book bindings of superb manufacture and design. These objects are presented with examples of calligraphy that were executed as practice exercises, occasional works, wall hangings, and manuscripts. Seen together, these rare works reveal the traces of their makers."-- Cover.


By the Pen and what They Write

By the Pen and what They Write

Author: Sheila Blair

Publisher: Other Distribution

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780300228243

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Considered by Muslims as the only true art, calligraphy has played a prominent role in Islamic culture since the time of the prophet Muhammad. Exploring this central role of the written word in Islam and how writing practices have evolved and adapted in different historical contexts, this book provides an overview of the enormous impact that writing in Arabic script has had on the visual arts of the Islamic world. Approaching the topic from a number of different perspectives, the essays in this volume include discussions on the relationship between orality and the written word; the materiality of the written word, ranging from the type of paper on which books were written to monumental inscriptions in stone and brick; and the development of Arabic typography and the printed book. Generously illustrated, By the Pen and What They Write is an engaging look at how writing has remained a foundational component of Islamic art throughout fourteen centuries. Distributed for the Qatar Foundation, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar


Islamic Calligraphy

Islamic Calligraphy

Author: Blair Sheila Blair

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2020-01-19

Total Pages: 736

ISBN-13: 1474464475

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Joint Winner of the 2007 British-Kuwait Friendship Society Prize for Middle Eastern StudiesThis stunning book is an important contribution to a key area of non-western art, being the first reference work on the art of beautiful writing in Arabic script.The extensive use of writing is a hallmark of Islamic civilization. Calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, became one of the main methods of artistic expression from the seventh century to the present in almost all regions from the far Maghrib, or Islamic West, to India and beyond. Arabic script was adopted for other languages from Persian and Turkish to Kanembu and Malay. Sheila S. Blair's groundbreaking book explains this art form to modern readers and shows them how to identify, understand and appreciate its varied styles and modes. The book is designed to offer a standardized terminology for identifying and describing various styles of Islamic calligraphy and to help Westerners appreciate why calligraphy has long been so important in Islamic civilization.The argument is enhanced by the inclusion of more than 150 colour illustrations, as well as over a hundred black-and-white details that highlight the salient features of the individual scripts and hands. Examples are chosen from dated or datable examples with secure provenance, for the problem of forgeries and copies (both medieval and modern) is rampant. The illustrations are accompanied by detailed analyses telling the reader what to look for in determining both style and quality of script.This beautiful new book is an ideal reference for anyone with an interest in Islamic art.Key Features* Written by the world's leading expert on Islamic calligraphy* Includes c.150 colour illustrations* Comprehensive: covers the art of calligraphy throughout Islamic civilisation, from the 7thc. to the present* The first volume to explain this art form to modern readers, guiding them in the identification, understanding and appreciation of its varied style


Islamic Art and Culture

Islamic Art and Culture

Author: Nasser D. Khalili

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 9789774161940

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The artistic achievements of the Islamic world chronicled over fourteen centuries.


Muthanna / Mirror Writing in Islamic Calligraphy

Muthanna / Mirror Writing in Islamic Calligraphy

Author: Esra Akin-Kivanc

Publisher:

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 0253049237

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Muthanna, also known as mirror writing, is a compelling style of Islamic calligraphy composed of a source text and its mirrored image placed symmetrically on a horizontal or vertical axis. This style elaborates on various scripts such as Kufi, naskh, and muqahhaq through compositional arrangements, including doubling, superimposing, and stacking. Muthanna is found in diverse media, ranging from architecture, textiles, and tiles to paper, metalwork, and woodwork. Yet despite its centuries-old history and popularity in countries from Iran to Spain, scholarship on the form has remained limited and flawed. Muthanna/Mirror Writing in Islamic Calligraphy provides a comprehensive study of the text and its forms, beginning with an explanation of the visual principles and techniques used in its creation. Author Esra Akın-Kıvanç explores muthanna's relationship to similar forms of writing in Judaic and Christian contexts, as well as the specifically Islamic contexts within which symmetrically mirrored compositions reached full fruition, were assigned new meanings, and transformed into more complex visual forms. Throughout, Akın-Kıvanç imaginatively plays on the implicit relationship between subject and object in muthanna by examining the point of view of the artist, the viewer, and the work of art. In doing so, this study elaborates on the vital links between outward form and inner meaning in Islamic calligraphy.


The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy

The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy

Author: Alain George

Publisher: Saqi Books

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13:

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Beautifully illustrated, this is an essential reference work for students and connoisseurs of calligraphy alike.


Calligraphy and Architecture in the Muslim World

Calligraphy and Architecture in the Muslim World

Author: Gharipour Mohammad Gharipour

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Published: 2019-07-30

Total Pages: 544

ISBN-13: 147446842X

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This major reference work covers all aspects of architectural inscriptions in the Muslim world: the artists and their patrons, what inscriptions add to architectural design, what materials were used, what their purpose was and how they infuse buildings with meaning. From Spain to China, and from the Middle Ages to our own lifetime, Islamic architecture and calligraphy are inexorably intertwined. Mosques, dervish lodges, mausolea, libraries, even baths and market places bear masterpieces of calligraphy that rival the most refined of books and scrolls.


Islam

Islam

Author: Elaine Wright

Publisher: Scala Books

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13:

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This superb book offers an illustrated introduction to the Islamic faith, drawing on the internationally renowned collection of Islamic manuscripts held at the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. Ranging in date from the 9th century to the early years of the 20th century its manuscripts derive primarily from the Arab world, Iran, Turkey and India, and include the splendid Qur'an copied in Baghdad in the year 1001 by Ibn al-Bawwab, one of the three greatest medieval Islamic calligraphers. Islam: Faith, Art, Culture is an authoritative but accessible introduction to Islam, explaining its history, practice and beliefs through beautiful reproductions of pages from Qur'ans, as well as other Islamic manuscripts including poems and prayers. AUTHOR: Dr Elaine Wright is Curator of the Islamic Collections at the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin and an internationally acknowledged expert in the field. SELLING POINTS: *Superb illustrations and an interesting, accessible text *Written by an expert art- historian in the field make this an important and fundamental introduction to the history, art and culture of Islam 203 colour