The rise of Islamic calligraphy

Alain George

"̀This book rises to the challenge of a grand theme-how did the early Muslims develop a fitting script and presentation for the word of God? George presents, in lucid expository prose, bold but convincing answers to the many questions posed by this scattered and fragmentary material, especially on matters of date and provenance. An unerring sense of the bigger picture complements his mastery of detail and of earlier scholarship. This promises to be a classic.' Professor Robert Hillenbrand, University of Edinburgh and British Academy" "̀Charting the rise and demise of the angular scripts used in the first centuries of Islam, this is an exciting new contribution to the fields of early Islamic studies and art history.' Professor Sheila Blair, Boston College and Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar" "The birth of Qur'anic calligraphy was a major event in the early history of Islam. In a...