Arabesque/Calligraphy

Examples of Form One:

The Bibi Khanum Mosque is a mosque in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It is covered in designs and patterns, all of which fall under the category of this form of Arabesque.

Form One: Principles that Govern the Order of the World

This form of Islamic art shows how objects are able to be structurally secure and what makes them visually appealing. An example could be how a square can exist. A square in Arabesque is representative of the four elements that make up nature, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. This form of Arabesque was an effort to explain the logic behind what made objects possible.

Evolution

Origins

Over time, the script developed and split into six different types of calligraphy: thuluth, muhaqqaq, naskh, rayhani, tauqi, and riqa. Each of these scripts was used differently and at different times, two of the most notable being thuluth and naskh.

The first script Korans were made with was Kufic, named so because it originated in the town of Kufu. This script was known for its distinct short vertical but long horizontal strokes.

Arabesque's Development

Early Arabesque does not have any attempt at realistic imagery, but became increasingly floral and fauna resembling as it developed. There was a total of two types of Arabesque, and arguably a third.

Form Two: Plants

The second form of Arabesque is based on flowing plant like figures. Plants are typically expressed as feminine, live giving objects in this form.

An example of Kufic script

Examples of Form Two:

Thuluth

Arabesque's Origin

One example of the second form of arabesque comes in the Mshatta Facade, one of the oldest sources of Arabesque discovered. It originates from Jordan, and is known as a desert castle. The Mshatta Facade has lots of plants, vines and animals, and is the ideal example of the second type.

This is a large and flowing script, which is thought of as the most emotionally powerful of Islamic calligraphy. Eventually, it was simplified into the more modern Naskh.

What is Arabesque?

What is Islamic Calligraphy?

The earliest Arabesque found is from the 8th century. Lots of Arabesque is found on old Islamic buildings and places of worship, as carvings are best preserved in stone (as compared to drawings on parchment).

Islamic Calligraphy is a type of Arabesque which comes in many forms and is focused on making words into art.

Arabesque is a form of artistic decoration containing many surface decorations based on linear patterns, and interlocking shapes.

An example of Thuluth script

Arabesque's Significance (1)

Arabesque has been analyzed to represent the Islamic view of the world, and was a way for Muslims to express their view of the world. Arabesque helped Muslims show how their religion views the world. Arabesque decorates lots of middle eastern architecture, and is considered to be symbolic carvings in the place of wallpaper.

There are arguably more than two forms of Arabesque however. Islamic calligraphy is considered to be the third type.

Arabesque's Significance (2)

Naskh

Contributions to World History

One important aspect of Arabesque is that is shows the extent of mathematical knowledge the Muslims had. Arabesque is visually pleasing in that all angles are exact, and many shapes are the same size. However, there were intentional errors in patterns. This was an act of humiliation by the creators, because it was believed that only God, or Allah, can create absolute perfection. Arabesque shows the amount of knowledge Muslims had of geometry, but has some purposeful mistakes.

Eventually, Naskh replaced Kufic in the use of the Koran, and is now used more than all other scripts combined. This is largely due to its legibility and ease to write, allowing it to be distributed and read by more people.

Impact on the Spread of Islam

Arabesque was the Islamic method of decoration and scripture for hundreds of years, and had a large impact on world history. For example, Arabesque even had an impact hundreds of miles away from its birthplace, as western society struggled to reproduce what they saw.

Works Cited

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cali/hd_cali.htm

http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/islamic/calligraphy2.htm

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/594309/thuluth-script

http://calligraphyqalam.com/styles/thuluth-naskh.html

https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/cities/uz/samarkand/bibi.html

http://fanar.gov.qa/understand/islamicart.html

Islamic Calligraphy and Arabesque definitely helped the religion spread because it showed the beauty not only of the religion itself but of the ideas of the religion. The fact that the Qur'an was written so beautifully would have made potential converts more interested in the religion.

An example of Naskh script

Arabesque and Calligraphy

Alex Blumenfeld and Andrew Schwartz