African

Ancient Mediterranean

Asian

European and American

Art since 1900

Asian Art

Calligraphy is considered to be the most sacred form of art in Islamic culture. It is given the unique role of the bearer of divine revelation through the Qur'an, the holiest book of the Muslim faith. This, coupled with religious restrictions on the usage of figural representation within the Qur'an, lends itself to heightened emphasis on the written word. Calligraphy is a common bond throughout different cultures in the Islamic world. As with any art form, many different styles of calligraphy developed over time. Eight separate varieties of writing technique were recognized in India alone. These ranged from the rectilinear Kufic style to the rounded Nastaliq seen here, in a work attributed to Shamsuddin Asaf Jahi, a calligrapher working in the Hyderabad court.

The chief inscription on the sheet reads "God! Bless Muhammad, and the family of Muhammad." It was "written" by cutting out the calligraphic letters and pasting them on a sheet decorated with floral patterns. At the upper center area of the sheet a much smaller inscription blends into the vegetal design. It translates into the simple pronoun "he," an allusion to Allah. Another inscription is written in brush at the bottom center of the work, identifying the maker of the sheet.

- Stanley Richards (student in a class conducted by Prof. Pika Ghosh, UNC Art Department, Fall semester 1999)