Early Islamic Calligraphy

More than in any other religion, Islam stresses the importance of the written word. It seems that writing is a direct expression of the spirit, the direct word of God transcribed to the page. Calligraphy is an Islamic tradition longstanding in the culture, against the advent of the technical age, for over eleven centuries.

The art of writing first became popular by the mid ninth century. By the twelth century onwards, writing intensified as a translation of God's word. Calligraphy formed into a heavily codified art. Strict rules followed the practice of learning. Scribes learning to write followed a vast amount of rules and guidelines.

Calligraphy came about when the Arabic language was formalized and embellished out of neccesity to transcribe the Koran, which had been preached through oral tradition until the death of Muhammad (632 ). Some of the first revelations appear scrawled onto palm leaves, bones, and other available objects. The earliest cursive scripts offer little beyond utilitarian criteria, but quickly, scribes created more cursives, and strived for their writing to reflect the beauty of their religion. Ibn Muqlah, (886-940) a monumental calligrapher reffered to as the "prophet of the art of calligraphy", set up principles of proportion in the Arabic written language. He created at least six different cursive styles. His manuscripts and Korans were so popular, even during his lifetime, that they were often subject to forgeries. He lead the golden age of Islamic Calligraphy, abundant with many devoted calligraphers and wealthy patrons. At this time many different scripts were being created.

• Early on, Kufi script was researved for religious writing only. It was created sometime in the eighth century and was widely used until the twelth century. The script is wider than it is high, and rectilinear and governed by specific proportions.
• Naskh script was one of the first scripts to be redesigned. Ibn Muqlah was the man to do so in the tenth century and made it extremely popular at the time. It displays a rhythmic line, full of movement. The script is easily read which added to its' popularity.
• Although the Thuluth script was first created in the 17th century, it wasn't fully developed until the late ninth century. Its' letters are curved with barbed heads. It was rarely used for Koran writing, but rather for ornamental script, titles, headings, and inscriptions.
• The Riq'a script is a mix between Naskh and Thuluth. It has geometric forms like Thuluth, only with more curves. It has been revised by many calligraphers since its' creation and is the most widely used script even today.

An early caligrapher's tools included reed and brush pens, scissors, a knife for cutting pens, an ink pot, and sharpening tool. A good pen was cherished and sometimes passed down generation but most often was buried with the calligrapher. Ink of all colors could be used, but brown and black were most common. By A.D. 751, during the Islamic invasion of Central Asia, Chinese traditions in cotton and silk papermaking had reached Islam. While scribes adopted their finely made paper, they rejected the Chinese art of woodblock printing, an easy method of reproduction.

Their handwork was, at that time, deeply-routed in their faith. Scribes often dedicated their whole lives to their art. They aimed for harmony, balance, and elegance. In Islamic culture, scribes and calligraphers held a higher status than architects and painters. Copying the word of God was believed to grant the calligrapher heavenly pleasure

The significance of Islamic calligraphy in the culture stems from the essence of the religion. Calligraphy was such an important aspect of early Islam because of it's relationship to the Koran. The letters represented God's voice and the voice of Islam. Contrasting Christian religious imagery, it is an Islamic belief that figural arts reflect idolatry. The letters are, in their eyes, the direct word of God, uninterrupted by biased imagery. In early Islamic culture, Arabic Calligraphy symbolizes and represents power and beauty. Inside the practice of calligraphy is the integration of artistry, scholarship, and faith.

The information on this sight can be found in the following materials:

Bloom, Jonathan and Sheila Blair. Islamic Arts. Phaidon, London. 1998

Irwin, Robert. Islamic Art in Context. Abrams, New York. 1997

Khatibl, Abdelkebir. The Splendour of Islamic Calligraphy. Rizzoni, New York. 1977

Schimmel, Annemarie. Calligraphy and Islamic Culture.New York University Press, new York. 1984