By Jenny Tang, V Form

The Islamic Art of the Calligraphic Manuscript By Muhammad Taqi (1695)

Most people, upon hearing art, think of visuals. They recall famous paintings and sculpture. Art, however, has many more facets. Islam, for instance, regards calligraphy and book-making

as the highest form of art. For this reason, a calligraphic manuscript was chosen for this assignment. The manuscript also presents visual elements worth studying. The piece is created by Muhammad Taqi in Persia of 1695 during the era of the Safavid Empire. It is stored in Carnegie Mellon University’s rare books collection. The manuscript has a floral painting cover, a first-page design, and calligraphy. It contains namaz (daily prayers) and verses for Ramadan (the Month of Fasting) written in Arabic^[1]. Given its size of 13 by 9 by 1.3 cm, it was probably carried around for prayers. The calligraphic manuscript exemplifies Islamic art by using the elements of floral arabesque, geometry, and calligraphy. Analyzing the manuscript unveils Islamic art’s root in both religion and secular, global influences. (more…)