Melissa PaschuckMelissa PaschuckFebruary 14, 2005February 14, 2005

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“People of the Book”

"Recite in the name of your Lord Who created,

Created man from a clot. Recite and your

Lord is most Generous, Who taught (to write) with the pen. Taught

man what he knew not."

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Calligraphy: An Honored Occupation

Revelation Described in the Koran:

An “elegantly proportioned script,” which is “preserved” with God on “spotless

sheets of paper, “ and which is beautiful and “unsurpassable.”

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Calligraphy is Everywhere

Interwoven floral kufic script.

The name of Allah.

http://www.islamicity.com/Culture/Calligraphy/cp168.htm

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Mosque Lamp, Iznik 1549, London,

British Museum.

Brief History of Arabic Script• Descended from Aramaic, Nabataean, and Syriac

languages.• Earliest inscription found in Sinai from circa 300 A.D.• 10th Century: 20+ scripts• Kufic was the earliest formal script• Ibn Muqla--standardized scripts• Yaqut al-Mustasim (d. 1299)--codified six basic

calligraphy styles—”The Six Pens”• Vary from flowing cursive to angular• Consists of 28 letters• May find a number of different styles on one Islamic

building• Second most widely used script in the modern world.

http://www.artarena.force9.co.uk/Iran/kufic2.jpg

The Six Pens

“In the name of God”

Riqa

Naskhi

Nastaliq

Thuluth

Muhaqqaq

Square Kufic

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Materials & Equipment• Parchment of various qualities was

used in the early centuries of Islam.• In 641 (after conquest of Egypt)

papyrus began to be used for secular writings

• Circa 751 Muslims became familiar with paper through Chinese prisoners

• Reed pens were the standard writing instrument.

• Ink was frequently made of soot.

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Education and Training• Guidance by a master is essential.• Calligraphers must master outward skills and the

required etiquette• Discipled in the secrets of letters according to

the mystical meaning • Apprenticeship began at a young age.• Pupils were expected to obey the master or face

harsh consequences.• Masters charged for their instruction and some

gave free lessons to talented and needy children.

• Speed varied between 50 and 500 lines per day.• Ijāza—permission to sign pages—given after

many years of instruction and practice.

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Concepts to Remember

• Calligraphy has played a key role in unifying Muslims.

• Calligraphy was developed over time through a combination of circumstances and people.

• Calligraphy penetrates all aspects of Islamic art.

• The art of calligraphy involves much more than writing.

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Tughra of Sultan Sulaiman the Magnificent, 16th century; Ottoman period (c. 1280-1924)

Attributed to Istanbul, Turkey

Helmet, late 15th century; Ak-Koyunlu/ShivranIranian

Steel, engraved and damascened with silver; H. 13 3/8 in. (34 cm)

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/hb/hb_50.87.jpg

Leaf from a manuscript, 19th century; Qajar, Iran

Ink, watercolors, gold, and silver on paper; 13 1/3 x 7 1/2 in. (33 x 19 cm)

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/hb/hb_1997.293.jpg

The Great Mosque, Cordoba(784-6, 961-6, 987-90 and other restorations)

The deeply recessed polygonal chamber of the central mirab.

http://www.islamicity.com/Culture/MOSQUES/Europe/TMp105e.htm

“Arabic calligraphy is a symbol representing power and beauty. Its history is the integration of artistry and scholarship. Through the abstract beauty of the lines, energy flows in between the letters and words. All the parts are integrated into a whole. These parts include positive spacing, negative spacing, and the flow of energy that weaves together the calligrapher's rendering. The abstract beauty of Arabic calligraphy is not always easily comprehended -- but this beauty will slowly reveal itself to the discerning eye.”

http://www.islamicart.com/main/calligraphy/intro.html

Bibliography

• http://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/hira.asp• http://www.islamicarchitecture.org/ia/art/

icalligraphy.html• http://www.islamicart.com/main/calligraphy/

index.html• www.artarena.force9.co.uk/ kufic.htm • www.harvardmagazine.com/ on-line/050223.html • Author Unknown: ‘Islamic Art', Grove Art Online,

(Oxford University Press, Accessed 10 February 2005), <http://www.groveart.com>

• Stokstad, M. (2005), Art History (Revised Second Edition), New Jersey: Prentice Hall.