The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy

London: Saqi, 2010. First Edition (presumed; no prior editions or printings cited). 236 pages: illustrations (some color), color map; 29 cm; jacket Fine in very good(+) jacket, with minor edge-wear, now in archival mylar. Hardcover. ISBN: 9780863566738, 0863566731

A well-illustrsated overview by a leading scholar. "The birth of Qur'anic calligraphy was a major event in the early history of Islam. In a few decades, it raised the Arabs and their language from the remote fringes of the civilised world to its very heart. Alain George brings together manuscript, material culture and texts to reveal the evolution of Arabic calligraphy from its pre-Islamic conception through the emergence of the modern styles of writing still in use today. The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy explores the resonance of the Ancient notion of proportion in Arabic script and breaks new ground in our understanding of a crucially important body of material: the earliest manuscripts of the Qur'an. Alain George highlights the historical context of early Arabic calligraphy and its relationship to the emerging civilisation of Islam, showing how a craft based on pen, parchment and ink came to convey the divine character of the Qur'anic text. Beautifully illustrated, this is an essential reference work for students and connoisseurs of calligraphy alike"--Publisher. // Contents: Looking for the origins. The Arabic script before Islam. The earliest Islamic documents. The earliest manuscripts of the Qur'an. The scribal world of Late Antiquity. Codex versus scroll. Format, ruling, quires and decoration. Pens, strokes and dots. Christian scribes of the Qur'an. The birth of Kufic. A novel codification. The inscriptions at the Dome of Rock. The milestones of 'Abd al-Malik. The epigraphic coinage. Umayyad manuscripts of the Qur'an. Economy and ideology in early Kufic. On calligraphy and proportion. The architecture of the page. Proportions in Plato's Timaeus. Artisans and intellectual circles in early Islamic times. Calligraphy and music: the tenth century. Towards the codification of cursive. The new style. The growth of cursive. The role of Ibn Muqla. Calligraphy and the breakdown of the empire. Economy, orthography and legibility. Appendix: Guidelines to Déroche's script classification. / **Heavy item. Additional shipping fees may be needed. Please inquire**+