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Asian Art

Because the religion of Islam places severe restrictions on representational art, elegant forms of writing (calligraphy) and ornamental design are particularly important in Islamic art. This page includes both. The main text is in Arabic, part of verses 39 and 40 from the fifth book of the Qur'an: "[God will turn] toward him, for God is forgiving, merciful. Do you not know that [to God belongs the Kingdom of heaven and earth?]". Below each line of Arabic text is a translation into Persian, written on a slant in a different script to distinguish it from the main text.

Geometric corner ornaments provide sharp contrast to an airy floral border, which contains inscriptions in an older form of writing, the highly decorative Kufic script. These inscriptions are short pious sayings, placed there not so much for the additional information they may convey as for their decorative and meditative value. Just as concentrating on the word of God is a sacred act, the careful and beautiful writing of a holy text can be a form of meditation.