Includes bibliographical references (p. [281]-289) and index.

Arabic calligraphy is at once an expression of piety, aesthetic sensibility and artistic discipline. Muhaqqaq was an early term which captured care and meticulousness in writing. It was associated with the making of manuscripts of the Qur'an-a sacred task and one which helped to give the new-Islamic order both identity and coherence muhaqqaq emerged in the eleventh certury as the name for one of the six Classical scripts. This is the first book devoted entirely to the muhaqqaq tradition. Nassar Mansour, himself a highly respected calligrapher, here traces the development of muhaqqaq as a script. From his analysis of medieval manuscripts he has created a new 'copybook', a traditional teaching aid used by calligraphy students. No such copybook for writing muhaqqaq has ever survived from the medieval era or the early modern period. Mansour also presents his own work in muhaqqaq, illustrating the stages of development of each piece and thus providing an insight into the calligrapher's art. This book is an invaluable and beautifully executed reference work on the art of Islamic calligraphy. Muhaqqaq is a venerable and striking script of enormous historical interest which yet offers contemporary possibilities, whether on paper for artistic pieces or on stone as a form of architectural expression. This book will attract students of Islamic calligraphy, art historians and practitioners alike, as well as collectors and aesthetes. --Book Jacket.

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