Journal Article

The Art and Design of Arabic Calligraphy

ElAraby, Kadri M.G.

1997

Overview

The Persians developed their own styles of Arabic Script. Farsi script spread since the ninth century A.D. Kufic script was first adopted by all lands that embraced Islam, but in the areas known as greater Persia, changes or improvements were made. Credit for these changes is given to Mir (c)Ali Al-Tabrizi, Sultan (c)Ali Al-Mashhady and Emad Al-Hyssani. Letters were stretched vertically and horizontally. Curves began to flow in writing. This created Taa(c)leeq, a specialty of Persian calligraphers, which can be described as somewhere between Thuluth and Naskh, but which had very limited use, basically only on official documents and certificates. Nastaa(c)leeq is another form of Farsi script which was a combination of Naskh and Taa(c)leeq scripts. Nastaa(c)leeq literally means the hanging one, and, in India, Muslim artists applied Nastaa(c)leeq to Urdu script. Nastaa(c)leeq script is often used for book titles and has widespread use in today's Iran, India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Shakasta, another derivative of Farsi script, which means the broken one, was developed by Professor Shafee'. It is a combination of Nastaaleeq and Taa(c)leeq. From that, Shakasta Ameiz was developed by Darwish Abdul Majeed Talqani. Shakasta Ameiz was developed by Darwish Abdul Majeed Talqani. Shakasta Ameiz is a script that is very difficult to read and write. Named after his mother Mouqla, he had a great impact on Arabic calligraphy. He was considered a Master calligrapher and transcribed the Quran twice. Ibn Muqlah was a calligrapher as well as an Abbassid cabinet minister for three Abbassid caliphs: Al-Muqtader Billah, Al-Qahir Billah, and Al-Radhy Billah. Ibn Muqlah was ambidextrous. He studied calligraphy under the tutelage of Al-Ahwal (from the Bermekians during the Abbassid period). Ibn Muqlah is credited with starting what is known as the Baghdadi school of calligraphy which was practiced in most of the Islamic world. He is the first who set rules and regulations for the alphabet and calculated each letter's measurement for a later universal use of scripts. It was Ibn Muqlah who said, \"Calligraphy is a spiritual geometry written by a bodily machine.\" Calligraphic styles such as Thuluth, Rihani, Tawqee(c) Muhaqqaq, Naskh, and Req(c)aa are all credited to Ibn Muqlah. He also introduced illuminated manuscripts. As with any other script, Arabic calligraphy has undergone major changes. Calligraphers wanted to free themselves from complex rules and give themselves the chance to express their own feelings in terms of composition, proportion, and creative style. On the other hand, with the advent of computers, the interest in pursuing calligraphy as a profession or even as a hobby has declined, since computers can generate an endless variety of forms and compositions. The fact remains, however, that putting elements of calligraphy together will always require some measure of technical or formal training, coupled with artistic and creative talent. Design, after all, is never invented. It is a mixture of education, talent, and experience. Today the calligraphic tradition lives on throughout the world in religious, educational, governmental, and commercial institutions. The wide range of possibilities that Arabic characters offer the artist/calligrapher are almost limitless. Calligraphers are still, despite new technological leaps, a precious commodity in the Arabic-speaking and Arabic-writing worlds. Arabic calligraphy and its vocabulary are still a part and parcel of everyday artistic life. Schools of calligraphy in the Arab world, in Iran, Turkey, India, and Pakistan are expanding and producing generations of young educated calligraphers who can contribute to the visual beauty of our life. Most of the new calligraphers tend to encourage further developments in this art form through improvisation without violating its basic rules. Everyday we hope that the list of the master calligraphers of Arabic script grows longer. It is said that, \"The written word is a talisman, and the process of writing is a magic art connected not only with the master's technique, skill, and art, but also with his spiritual and moral character.\"(14) That is why Arabic calligraphy will live and flourish for many years to come.

• Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd,University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Subject: 9th century / Ability / Alphabet letters / Arabic language / Artists / Beauty / Cabinet / Calligraphy / Certificates / Changes / Computers / Creativity / Derivatives / Education / Geometry / Handedness / Islam / Islamic countries / Language / Letters (Correspondence) / Measurement / Official documents / Persian language / Quran / Regulation / Religion / Religious literature / Rules / Scripts / Titles / Urdu language / Vocabulary / Writing / Writing processes