The Splendour of Arabic Calligraphy

The Splendor of Islamic Calligraphy, widely acclaimed on first publication as the most lavish and sumptuous study of its kind, provides a comprehensive and fascinating survey of the subject from its earliest origins to the present day. It explains with the help of numerous line drawings the geometrical and ornamental principles of calligraphy, and examines the interdependence of script and page decoration. It also gives an overview of the many complex variations of this form of writing, and traces its evolution right up to its current expressions. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it contains outstanding examples of scripts - kufic, thuluth, naskhi and maghribi among others - in a series of magnificent photographs which reproduce in stunning detail a range of manuscript pages, paintings and other works of art to illustrate the supreme craftsmanship of Islamic calligraphy.