The Splendor of Islamic Calligraphy
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Calligraphy, the art that combines images and written words, is perhaps at its most brilliant in the Islamic world. Islamic calligraphy took its inspiration from Muslim belief in the divine origin of Arabic writing, the medium through which the Qu'aranic revelation to the Prophet Muhammad was recorded. In the early years of Islam the sanctity of Arabic writing was accepted among Arabs and non-Arabs alike, and its use in sacred and official texts gave rise to a wonderful profusion of scripts, and a calligraphic tradition that has flourished for over a thousand years - not only in manuscript decoration but in architecture, ceramics and painting. The Splendor of Islamic Calligraphy, widely acclaimed on first publication as the most lavish and sumptuous study of its kind, provides a comprehensive survey of the subject from its earliest origins to the present day. It explains with the help of numerous line drawings the geometrical and ornamental principles of calligraphy, and examines the interdependence of script and page decoration. It gives an overview of the many complex variations of this most graphic form of writing, and traces its evolution up to its current expression in the painting of artists such as Shakir Hassan. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it contains outstanding examples of scripts - kufic, thuluth, naskhi and maghribi among others - in a series of magnificent reproductions of manuscript pages, paintings and other works of art.Interior DesignA visually stunning study of Islamic calligraphy...these great illustrations will set a designer's heart on fire.
Symbol of civilization6Principles of Arabic writing10Tracing the Origins13Legend and epigraphy18Myths of origin21Tawqif and istillah28Epigraphical confusions37The Proportions of the Line45The alif module46The geometric interplay49Colour52Miniature and arabesque70The pen74Schools and Styles77Typology78Meaning and the written word90Diacritical signs92Kufic and naskhi96Ibn Muqla100Ibn al-Bawwab116Calligraphy and history120Symbolism of the Page127The spell of the face128Jafr, or the science of letters132Futuhat, or isolated letters139The bismillah142The margin148The signature152In the Sight of Allah163A delicate vibration166Ornamentation of buildings182The Architectural Context189Landmarks192Styles196Contemporary Painting213Zenderoudi219Koraishi224Boullata230Notes on the Text236Bibliography237Acknowledgments239
