Sacred Script: Muhaqqaq in Islamic Calligraphy

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Description

Arabic calligraphy is at once an expression of piety, aesthetic sensibility and artistic discipline. 'Muhaqqaq' was an early term which captured care, clarity and meticulousness in calligraphy. It was associated with the making of manuscripts of the Qur'an - a sacred task and one which helped to give the new Islamic order both identity and coherence. 'Muhaqqaq' energed in the eleventh century as the name for one of six classical scripts. This is the first book devoted entirely to 'muhaqqaq' tradition. Nassar Mansour, himself a highly respected calligrapher, here traces the development of 'muhaqqaq'. His book also presents examples of his own work in muhaqqaq whish demonstrate the enduring value of this script for today. This is an invaluable and beautifully executed reference work on Islamic calligraphy, which will attract art historians and practitioners alike.

Reviews

'Nassar Mansour's book provides a rare opportunity to look at Arabic calligraphy from the inside through the eyes of a contemporary practitioner. It gives an engaging insight into his intellectual background and working practices, and it documents his successful attempt to revive a particularly impressive style of calligraphy.' - Tim Stanley, Senior Curator, Middle East Asian Department Victoria and Albert Museum, London; 'I've read Nassar's text with pleasure and interest and illumination: before starting it, I couldn't have defined muhaqqaq to save my life. I also think it casts light on its peculiar suitability as a Qur'anic script. I've often been exercised by the difficulty of writing about calligraphy and inscriptions in general, not merely Islamic but Western too: the vocabulary is poor; there are insufficient technical terms; and lack of professional expertise tends to blind one to the most obvious points. Nassar is a practitioner, which gives him a head start, and his lucid exposition and mastery of the Islamic calligraphic tradition make his study of muhaqqaq a real contribution to an under-studied subject in the West.' - Michael Rogers, The Honorary Curator of the Khalili Collection, London; 'Based on a wide range of original sources, this book traces the history of muhaqqaq, the most illustrious of Arabic script styles, from its beginnings to its apogee at the height of the Ottoman Empire. The presentation is enriched by the author's own experience as an eminent calligrapher in whose work this ancient style has come to new fruition. As the combined fruit of scholarship and expert craftsmanship, this book is a rarity among its kind.' - Dr. Stefan Sperl, School of Oriental and African Studies, London

Author Bio

Nassar Mansour is one of the most accomplished calligraphers in the Arab World today. He received his ijazain calligraphy from the eminent calligrapher Hasan Celebi and, between 1996 and 1999, he was responsible for calligraphy and ornamentation in the restoration of the twelfth-century pulpit (minbar) of Saladin at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem after it was destroyed in 1969. He completed his PhD, on which this book is based, in 2007. He has participated in numerous calligraphy workshops and exhibitions in the Middle East, Europe, India, Malaysia and Japan and his work is represented at the British Museum. Mansour lives in Jordan, where he teaches at the Institute of Traditional Islamic Arts and Architecture at World Islamic Sciences and Education University. Sir Mark Allen is an Arabist who, during a diplomatic career in the Middle East, acquired an intimate knowledge of, and affection for, the culture of the region.