See below - Six books about Islamic Art and Calligraphy - 1992-2013

The Nasser D Khalili Collection of Islamic Art (4 books)
1) The Master Scribes: Qur’ans of the 11th to 14th Centuries (Vol II)
2)After Timur: Qur’ans of the 15th and 16th Centuries (Vol III)
3)The Decorated Word: Qur’ans of the 17th to 19th Centuries, Part Two
4)The Art of the Pen, Calligraphy of the 14th to 20th Centuries
Other
5)Calligraphy and Architecture in the Muslim World, Mohammad Gharipour and Irvin Cemil Schick
6)Islamic Calligraphy from the Wellcome Library,Nikolaj Serikoff

1)The Master Scribes:Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th centuries,VOLUME II,Published 1992,David James
This is the second of four volumes cataloguing the Qur’anic material in the Collection; it covers the period from 1000 to 1400 and includes examples from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Anatolia, India, Spain and North Africa.
The 56 items presented here include a Qur’an section written in gold in 12th-century Iraq; one of a small group of Qur’ans known to have been produced in Valencia in the same period; and what may be the earliest surviving Qur’an from India. Even more remarkable is a section from a 30-part Qur’an written by Yaqut al-Musta‘simi, the greatest Islamic calligrapher of the later Middle Ages: other sections from the same Qur’an are in Istanbul and Dublin, but this is the only one to retain its original illumination.
These important items are the subject of substantial new studies and other essays that cover Qur’an production in Damascus and manuscript patronage in Shiraz under the Inju‘ids and Muzaffarids. The detailed catalogue entries are complemented by multiple colour illustrations, and colophons and other significant documentation is reproduced with full translations.
About the author(s)
The late Dr David James – Former Islamic Curator, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin; specialist in manuscripts of the Qur’an
Details
240 pages fully illustrated in colour, several line drawings section on documentary inscriptions hardback with dust jacket (slipcased) 36 x 26 cm ISBN: 1-874780-52-8
2)After Timur:Qur’ans of the 15th and 16th centuries,VOLUME III,Published 1992,David James
This is the third of four volumes cataloguing the Qur’anic material in the Collection; it covers the period from 1400 to 1600 and presents 60 items from Iran, Central Asia, Syria, Egypt, Turkey and India.
Most notable among them is a Qur’an that was kept in the women’s quarters of the Mughal imperial residence in the 17th and 18th centuries. This exquisite manuscript may have been produced for Shah Tahmasp, the greatest patron of the arts of the book in 16th-century Iran.
Besides detailed catalogue descriptions, colour illustrations and a section on documentation where colophons are reproduced with translations, the volume contains substantial new studies. These cover the monumental Qur’an previously associated with the Timurid prince Baysunghur ibn Shahrukh; Ruzbihan Muhammad, the most eminent calligrapher and illuminator of Shiraz in the early 16th century; and the great Ottoman calligrapher Ahmed Karahisari.
About the author(s)
The late Dr David James – Former Islamic Curator, Chester Beatty Library, Dublin; specialist in manuscripts of the Qur’an
Details
256 pages fully illustrated in colour section on documentary inscriptions hardback with dust jacket (slipcased) 36 x 26 cm; 1992; ISBN: 1-874780-53-6
3)The Decorated Word:Qur’ans of the 17th to 19th centuries,VOLUME IV,Published : Part Two 2009,Manijeh Bayani, Tim Stanley and J.M. Rogers
This is the fourth and final volume cataloguing the Qur’anic material in the Collection; it is published in two parts and includes over 150 Qur’ans produced in the period after 1600.
Part Two covers the 19th century in Iran and the Ottoman empire, showing that the period was one of sumptuous brilliance with respect to Qur’an production.In several cases the essays that introduce each group of manuscripts break new ground. No previous study of Chinese Qur’an production has been published, and the essay on Ottoman Qur’ans from the 17th and 18th centuries offers an original explanation of the development of Qur’anic calligraphy in this period.
About the author(s)
Manijeh Bayani – Specialist in Persian and Arabic epigraphy; contributor to most of the catalogues in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art series
Tim Stanley – Senior Curator, Middle Eastern collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, London; specialist in Islamic manuscript production, calligraphy and the decorative arts and has a longstanding interest in Ottoman culture
The late Professor J.M. Rogers – Fellow of the British Academy; Honorary Curator, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art; Former Deputy Keeper of the Department of Oriental Antiquities, British Museum, London; inaugural Nasser D. Khalili Chair of Islamic Art and Archaeology, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; specialist in many aspects of Islamic culture and history, especially Seljuk and Ottoman arts
Details
Part Two: 300 pages; fully illustrated in colour, halftone illustrations of colophons; hardback with dust jacket (slipcased) 36 x 26 cm; 2009; ISBN: 978-1-874780-76-2
4) The Art of the Pen,The Art of the Pen: Calligraphy of the 14th to 20th Centuries,VOLUME V,Published 1996
Nabil F. Safwat with a contributionby Mohamed Zakariya
The demanding discipline of calligraphy, centring on the power of the written word and transmitted from master to pupil through the ages, is fundamental to Islamic cultures and is the source of one of the world’s richest artistic traditions.
The 174 examples of the art published in this volume represent the scope and continuity of calligraphy over a period of six centuries. They include works by many of the most celebrated calligraphers, beginning with the influential Yaqut in the 14th century, and by such distinguished amateurs as the Ottoman sultans Abdülmecid I and Mahmud II.
This is the most comprehensive study yet made of the subject, examining many fundamental aspects of a calligrapher’s activity for the first time.
The author discusses the artists’ training and the key elements of the calligraphic repertoire, including albums of sample work, stencils and miniature script, cut-out work and gilded leaves. To complement the text, examples of all of the principal types of historical script have been provided by an eminent modern calligrapher.
About the author(s)
Dr Nabil F. Safwat – Former Lecturer, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; specialist in Islamic calligraphy and the arts of the book
Mohamed Zakariya – Distinguished contemporary calligrapher, now working in Washington, D.C.
Details
248 pages; fully illustrated in colour; compendium of Arabic scripts, section on documentary inscriptions; hardback with dust jacket (slipcased); 1996; 36 x 26 cm ISBN: 1-874780-55-2
5) Calligraphy and Architecture in the Muslim World,Mohammad Gharipour and Irvil Cemil Schick
Explores the myriad interactions between calligraphy and architecture throughout the history of the Muslim world
30 case studies explain different aspects and contexts of calligraphy in Islamic architecture
Geographically wide-ranging – covers North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, China and Spain
Takes an interdisciplinary approach to analysing calligraphy as part of its larger spatial-architectural context
Lavishly illustrated with over 300 colour images
From Spain to China, Islamic architecture and calligraphy are inexorably intertwined. Mosques, dervish lodges, mausolea, libraries, even baths and market places bear masterpieces of calligraphy that rival the most refined of books and scrolls.This major reference work focuses on architectural inscriptions through the Muslim world, from the emergence of Islam to the present day.
What were the purposes of these inscriptions?
How do they infuse buildings with culturally specific meanings, sacred or profane?
What do they add to architectural design?
What sorts of materials were used, and how do they interact with light and space?
Who were their patrons, and what do we know about the artists who produced them?
Language: English
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Copyright year: 2013
Audience: College/higher education;
Pages 532
Main content: 544 Illustrations
Other: 317 colour illustrations 12 B/W tables
6) Islamic Calligraphy from the Wellcome Library, Nikolaj Serikoff
The Wellcome Library is one of the world's greatest collections of books, manuscripts, archives, films and paintings on the history of medicine from the earliest times to the present day. The Library's Asian Collections comprise electronic and printed books and manuscripts in more than 40 languages ranging for over 4000 years.
This lavishly illustrated book conveys the visual richness of the Wellcome collection of Islamic calligraphy for over ten centuries, providing an insight into the artistic and spiritual activity of Indian and Iranian peoples. The ninety beautifully written calligraphy exemplars were purchased in the early 20th century as a part of the private libraries of certain medical practitioners from that area, and reflect both the literary and artistic tastes of this professional group as well as their religious beliefs.
Prepared by an international team of scholars from the UK, Iran and Russia, the text is primarily intended for the general reader. It explains the concept of calligraphy in the world of arabic scripts, outlines its stylistic development over the past centuries, and illustrates the tools and methods used in practising the calligraphy. Detailed descriptions of the exemplars, along with extensive glossary and indices, also make this book an important reference for students, scholars, and academic libraries.
Product details
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Serindia Publications, Inc. (June 1, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1932476334
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1932476330