DOCSLIB.ORG

Practice Makes Perfect: the Art of Calligraphy Exercises (Siy@H Mashq) in Iran

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Practice Makes Perfect: the Art of Calligraphy Exercises (Siy@H Mashq) in Iran practice makes perfect: the art of calligraphy exercises 107 MARYAM EKHTIAR PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: THE ART OF CALLIGRAPHY EXERCISES (SIY@H MASHQ) IN IRAN Calligraphy is concealed in the teaching method of the letters, so that it be clear, clean, and attractive. When master; its essence is in its frequent repetition, and it your writing has made progress, seat yourself in a corner exists to serve Islam.1 and do not idle about; find some small manuscript of good style and hold it before your eyes. In the same These words by {Ali b. Abi Talib, traditionally regarded format, ruling, and kind of writing, prepare yourself to as the first master calligrapher of Islam, lie at the heart copy it. After that, write several letters; do not indulge in of siy¸h mashq, or calligraphic exercise pages. Siy¸h egotism. Try not to be careless with regard to your copy, mashq pages have yielded some of the most visually not even a little bit. One must give full attention to the stunning examples of later Persian calligraphy. Their copy, completing one line [of it] after another.3 bold forms and harmonious compositions are truly captivating. Yet this art form and its historical develop- Practice allowed the calligrapher to determine the size ment have received little attention from scholars and of the script to be used, to try out the pen, to judge art historians. Thus, in this study, I focus exclusively on whether or not the ink was of the correct consistency, and to map out the overall visual impact of the com- the development of siy¸h mashq in Iran: its visual and position. It also enabled him to refine the shapes of aesthetic characteristics, its role in the transmission of the letters and overcome any unsteadiness or stiffness skills from master calligraphers to their pupils, and in the hand. This was achieved by the repetition of its spiritual dimensions as presented in the primary individual letters or groups of letters on different areas sources of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. of the page. In order to use all available space on the I also examine the evolution of siy¸h mashq into an sheet when practicing, the calligrapher often rotated independent art form and its subsequent flowering the page several times (figs. 3 and 4). The typical in the nineteenth century, as well as its relevance in result was a heavily worked, dark sheet with little white modern and contemporary Iranian art. ground showing through. The process is analogous to Siy¸h mashq, literally “black writing,” refers to the a painter executing sketches before starting on the calligraphic preparatory practice sheets executed by 2 final version of a painting. Thus, according to master traditional calligraphers and scribes (fig. 1). An inte- calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya, “Close observation gral part of the system through which calligraphers of mashq can, at times, tell us more about the art of moved from apprenticeship to master status, the copy- calligraphy than a formal, highly finished piece.”4 ing and repeating of individual letters or combinations These practice sheets were not confined to the of letters were intended to strengthen the hand and Persianate realm, but are also found in the Western instill the concentration and discipline necessary to Islamic world and Ottoman Turkey. In Arabic they are become a master calligrapher (fig. 2). called musawwada (blackened), while in Turkish they The late-fifteenth-century calligrapher Sultan {Ali are referred to as karalama, a verbal noun from the Mashhadi aptly describes the objectives of and pro- Turkish kara (black). Furthermore, siy¸h mashq were cesses involved in calligraphic practice: not limited to one particular script but are found in Whatever writing you wish to copy (naql), try not to a wide array of them. In Iran, those in the nasta{lºq hammer the iron when it is cold. Be very patient over (“hanging”) and shikasta (“broken”) scripts are found each letter and not just cast a glance and proceed care- in greater numbers, due in part to the popularity of lessly. Look at the “strength and weakness” of the letters, these two scripts at the time siy¸h mashq emerged as and put before your eyes the shape (tarkºb). Watch their an art form, as well as to their distinct visual attributes, “ascent” and “descent” rather than being distracted by which perfectly suited the compositional requirements this or that. Be aware of the flourish [?] (shamr) of the of siy¸h mashq. Such attributes included the unique 108 maryam ekhtiar Fig. 1. The calligrapher’s implements: reed pen, ink, inkwell, and a page of mashq. (After M. Uqur Derman, Letters in Gold: Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakæp Sabancæ Collection, Istanbul [New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998], fig. 7) Fig. 2. Page of mashq by Muhammad Riza Kalhur. 11.4 x 19.1 cm. Private collection, Tehran..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Boxes, Inkwells, Speech and Formulas DRAFT
    Boxes, Inkwells, Speech and Formulas DRAFT Richard J. Fateman March 10, 2006 1 Introduction This paper sets out some designs for entering mathematical formulas into a computer system. An initial approach to this task suggests that the previous model, namely writing mathematics on paper or chalkboard, should lead to a natural computer system using a stylus for writing on a tablet. For feedback and for presentation such as in this paper, we use the typesetting capabilities of Knuth’s TEX system to show how “properly typeset” expressions might appear. We use TEX here to show our design for an interactive input scheme, under implementation. For this to work, an interactive system must make expressions appear approximately in the same sequences as illustrated, on a computer display. The solid color boxes that appear in the incomplete forms are intended as invitations for the user to continue writing out a formula, continuing from within one of those boxes. Think of them as “virtual inkwells.” For example, an attempt to write a superscript must begin by dipping the stylus (or mouse) in the superscript inkwell. An attempt to write an operand adjacent to an existing must begin in that inkwell. Initiating writing elsewhere on the screen will have no proper ink and will not contribute to the formula entry. We also point out that speaking the terms, rather than writing them, may provide more accurate communication. At this point we suggest you look ahead a page or two to see some pictures of inkwells. 1.1 Why Inkwells? This ink-well-based constrained input provides an obvious basis for cooperation between the human entering a formula and the supporting computer program.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Kufic Script in Islamic Calligraphy and Its Relevance To
    University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 1999 A study of Kufic script in Islamic calligraphy and its relevance to Turkish graphic art using Latin fonts in the late twentieth century Enis Timuçin Tan University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Tan, Enis Timuçin, A study of Kufic crs ipt in Islamic calligraphy and its relevance to Turkish graphic art using Latin fonts in the late twentieth century, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, 1999. http://ro.uow.edu.au/ theses/1749 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact Manager Repository Services: [email protected]. A Study ofKufic script in Islamic calligraphy and its relevance to Turkish graphic art using Latin fonts in the late twentieth century. DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by ENiS TIMUgiN TAN, GRAD DIP, MCA FACULTY OF CREATIVE ARTS 1999 CERTIFICATION I certify that this work has not been submitted for a degree to any university or institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by any other person, expect where due reference has been made in the text. Enis Timucin Tan December 1999 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I acknowledge with appreciation Dr. Diana Wood Conroy, who acted not only as my supervisor, but was also a good friend to me. I acknowledge all staff of the Faculty of Creative Arts, specially Olena Cullen, Liz Jeneid and Associate Professor Stephen Ingham for the variety of help they have given to me.
    [Show full text]
  • Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents
    University of Kentucky UKnowledge Legal Studies Social and Behavioral Studies 1996 Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents Joe Nickell University of Kentucky Click here to let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Thanks to the University of Kentucky Libraries and the University Press of Kentucky, this book is freely available to current faculty, students, and staff at the University of Kentucky. Find other University of Kentucky Books at uknowledge.uky.edu/upk. For more information, please contact UKnowledge at [email protected]. Recommended Citation Nickell, Joe, "Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents" (1996). Legal Studies. 1. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_legal_studies/1 Detecting Forgery Forensic Investigation of DOCUlllen ts .~. JOE NICKELL THE UNIVERSITY PRESS OF KENTUCKY Publication of this volume was made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Copyright © 1996 byThe Universiry Press of Kentucky Paperback edition 2005 The Universiry Press of Kentucky Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth, serving Bellarmine Universiry, Berea College, Centre College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky Universiry, The Filson Historical Sociery, Georgetown College, Kentucky Historical Sociery, Kentucky State University, Morehead State Universiry, Transylvania Universiry, University of Kentucky, Universiry of Louisville, and Western Kentucky Universiry. All rights reserved. Editorial and Sales qtJices:The Universiry Press of Kentucky 663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008 www.kentuckypress.com The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows: Nickell,Joe. Detecting forgery : forensic investigation of documents I Joe Nickell. p. cm. ISBN 0-8131-1953-7 (alk. paper) 1. Writing-Identification. 2. Signatures (Writing). 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Uyghur Dispossession, Culture Work and Terror Capitalism in a Chinese Global City Darren T. Byler a Dissertati
    Spirit Breaking: Uyghur Dispossession, Culture Work and Terror Capitalism in a Chinese Global City Darren T. Byler A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2018 Reading Committee: Sasha Su-Ling Welland, Chair Ann Anagnost Stevan Harrell Danny Hoffman Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Anthropology ©Copyright 2018 Darren T. Byler University of Washington Abstract Spirit Breaking: Uyghur Dispossession, Culture Work and Terror Capitalism in a Chinese Global City Darren T. Byler Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Sasha Su-Ling Welland, Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies This study argues that Uyghurs, a Turkic-Muslim group in contemporary Northwest China, and the city of Ürümchi have become the object of what the study names “terror capitalism.” This argument is supported by evidence of both the way state-directed economic investment and security infrastructures (pass-book systems, webs of technological surveillance, urban cleansing processes and mass internment camps) have shaped self-representation among Uyghur migrants and Han settlers in the city. It analyzes these human engineering and urban planning projects and the way their effects are contested in new media, film, television, photography and literature. It finds that this form of capitalist production utilizes the discourse of terror to justify state investment in a wide array of policing and social engineering systems that employs millions of state security workers. The project also presents a theoretical model for understanding how Uyghurs use cultural production to both build and refuse the development of this new economic formation and accompanying forms of gendered, ethno-racial violence.
    [Show full text]
  • Artists' Books Bookbinding Papercraft Calligraphy
    Volume 6, Numb er 3 $8.50 ARTISTS’ BOOKSBOOKBINDINGPAPERCRAFTCALLIGRAPHY Volume 6, Number 3 2 Mary’s Star Book. Mary Conley FRONT COVER 4 We Love Your Books: ABC Exhibition 2007. Emma Powell with Melanie Bush Clockwise, from top left: Miniature Metal Book. Gennady Safronov. 8 Works on Paper. John Cutrone and Seth Thompson His miniature metal books are solely 10 Ruling Pen Basics. Matthew Coffin handcrafted; a skill that requires incredible patitence and attention to detail. 12 On Your Own Terms. Photo by Evgeny Abramenko. 14 Mobile Books. Florence Miller “Small Books, Large Talent: Miniature Metal Books,”page 30. 16 Hidden Bookbinding Cloths. Catherine Burkhard 17 Calligraphy and Handmade Paper: Equally Beautiful When Sea Laps Land. Ann Alaia Woods. Charcoal/graphite pencil on handmade 20 American Fine Bindings: Book of Origins paper. Suminagashi on Asian brush 24 Eugenie Torgerson: Thinking Outside the Box. Eugenie Torgerson calligraphy paper embedded in handmade abaca paper. 2007. 8" x 10". 26 Exchange of Ideas. Julie Gray “Calligraphy and Handmade Paper: 30 Small Books, Large Talent: Miniature Metal Books. Yana Safronova Equally Beautiful,”page 17. 32 Quilted Books? John Cutrone Tool Room Box and Journal. 33 Pocket Full of Surprises. Pat Pleacher Eugenie Torgerson. Lidded box holds artist’s journal. Binder’s board, cloth, paper, glass, 34 WWC Painted Books. Annie Cicale hardware, original digital illustrations. 38 First Class Mail. Debra Glanz 13" x 10" x 4". Photo by Bukva Imaging Group. 39 Teeny Tiny Cards. Jane LaFerla. BOOK REVIEW by Rona Chumbook “Eugenue Torgerson: 40 The Monument to Ephemeral Facts. Douglas Holleley Thinking Outside the Box,”page 24.
    [Show full text]
  • You May View It Or Download a .Pdf Here
    “I put my trust in God” (“Tawakkaltu ‘ala ’illah”) Word 2012 —Arabic calligraphy in nasta’liq script on an ivy leaf 42976araD1R1.indd 1 11/1/11 11:37 PM Geometry of the Spirit WRITTEN BY DAVID JAMES alligraphy is without doubt the most original con- As well, there were regional varieties. From Kufic, Islamic few are the buildings that lack Hijazi tribution of Islam to the visual arts. For Muslim cal- Spain and North Africa developed andalusi and maghribi, calligraphy as ornament. Usu- Cligraphers, the act of writing—particularly the act of respectively. Iran and Ottoman Turkey both produced varie- ally these inscriptions were writing the Qur’an—is primarily a religious experience. Most ties of scripts, and these gained acceptance far beyond their first written on paper and then western non-Muslims, on the other hand, appreciate the line, places of origin. Perhaps the most important was nasta‘liq, transferred to ceramic tiles for Kufic form, flow and shape of the Arabic words. Many recognize which was developed in 15th-century Iran and reached a firing and glazing, or they were that what they see is more than a display of skill: Calligraphy zenith of perfection in the 16th century. Unlike all earlier copied onto stone and carved is a geometry of the spirit. hands, nasta‘liq was devised to write Persian, not Arabic. by masons. In Turkey and Per- The sacred nature of the Qur’an as the revealed word of In the 19th century, during the Qajar Dynasty, Iranian sia they were often signed by Maghribıi God gave initial impetus to the great creative outburst of cal- calligraphers developed from nasta‘liq the highly ornamental the master, but in most other ligraphy that began at the start of the Islamic era in the sev- shikastah, in which the script became incredibly complex, con- places we rarely know who enth century CE and has continued to the present.
    [Show full text]
  • The Inky Story of the Dinky Oak Gall
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln USGS Staff -- ubP lished Research US Geological Survey 2014 The nkyI Story of the Dinky Oak Gall Ken Sulak research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (Biological Resources), [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub Part of the Geology Commons, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons, Other Earth Sciences Commons, and the Other Environmental Sciences Commons Sulak, Ken, "The nkI y Story of the Dinky Oak Gall" (2014). USGS Staff -- Published Research. 1066. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/1066 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Geological Survey at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in USGS Staff -- ubP lished Research by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Volume 31: Number 1 > 2014 The Quarterly Journal of the Florida Native Plant Society Palmetto The Inky Story of the Dinky Oak Gall ● A Native Celebration ● The Rebirth of Cape Florida Pea galls on live oak leaves (Quercus virginiana) induced by Belonocnema treatae, a gall wasp. The Inky Story of the Dinky Oak Gall Article and photos by Ken Sulak Spring in North Florida – and all those magnificent live oaks are sporting a bright new flush of green leaves. Last year’s old clothes, those worn out leaves now lie dry and brown on the forest floor. But look closely and you will soon notice that many of those leaves are decorated with rows or clusters of little round woody galls on their underside, like little brown pearls.
    [Show full text]
  • The German Patent Classification, Class 70 Page 1 2011-09-23
    The German Patent Classification, Class 70 Page 1 2011-09-23 70 Writing and drawing implements 70a Writing and drawing pencils, pencil holders, combined pencils and penholders, devices ensuring the proper writing position of the fingers 70b Pens, fountain pens, penholders, stylographic pens, stylographic penholders, pen extractors, pen cleaners 70c Inkwells, ink bottles, inkstands 70d Office equipment not covered by special classes; polygraphic devices, writing devices for the blind 70e Drawing implements, slates for children, writing surfaces for wall blackboards, dispensers and cutters for paper sheets and rolled drawing or wrapping paper 70a Writing and drawing pencils, pencil holders, combined pencils and penholders, devices ensuring the proper writing position of the fingers 70a-1/01 Machines and devices for the production of pencils with fixed leads 70a-1/02 Pencils and coloured pencils with fixed leads, styluses (slate pencils 80d-3), mechanical production of leads (materials for lead and colour pencils or styluses, chemical part 22g-2/01) 70a-1/03 Pencils with paper wrapping 70a-1/04 Duplicating pencils, metal pencils, ballpoint pens (with ink 70b-5) Refill pencils with positive lead shift 70a-2/01 Screw pencils with feed screw 70a-2/02 with wire feed screw 70a-2/10 with lead being pushed forward 70a-2/11 with longitudinal slot and clamp ring 70a-2/12 with rack feed 70a-2/13 in which the lead is fed by pressing the pencil point 70a-2/20 Artists' pencils 70a-2/30 with lead ejectors 70a-2/40 with disengagement devices and safeguards
    [Show full text]
  • Inkwell Stand
    Inkwell Stand By Inga Milbauer This antique Victorian inkwell stand with two covered inkwells belonged to Reverend George S. Dodge who was the pastor of the Congregational Church in Boylston from 1902 to 1917. The decorative inkwell stand is made of cast iron, as are the covers of the two glass inkwells. The back of the stand has a Western horseshoe design decorated with a horse head and a spot to rest your writing instrument. It measures about 6x3x5 inches. It was made by the Peck Stow & Wilcox Company. The Peck Stow & Wilcox Company dates back to 1797. Seth Peck of Southington, Connecticut started to manufacture tools and machines to replace the hand tools used by tinsmiths. Several firms succeeded the business and by 1870 the S. Stow Mfg. Co. of Plantsville, Connecticut and the Roys & Wilcox Co. of East Berlin, Connecticut were competitors. In December 1870 these two firms and the Peck, Smith Co. united and established a joint stock company named the Peck, Stow & Wilcox Company. In 1881 the Wilcox, Treadway & Co. of Cleveland, Ohio was acquired by the company. Tinsmiths’ tools and machines were the main products, but other items such as tools for carpenters, machinists and blacksmiths, and a variety of housekeeping products were also made. The company was bought out by Billings & Spencer in 1950. Inkwells made out of stone with round hollows date back to Ancient Egypt. Different materials such as glass, porcelain, animal horns, pewter, silver and other metals would later be used. From the seventeenth century onwards, inkwells became more elaborate and decorative as more people around the world began to use them.
    [Show full text]
  • Smart Quill Technology 07It042
    SMART QUILL TECHNOLOGY 07IT042 INTRODUCTION Lindsay Williams of Microsoft Research's Cambridge UK lab is the inventor of the Smart quill, a pen that can remember the words that it is used to write, and then transform them into computer text. The idea that "it would be neat to put all of a handheld-PDA type computer in a pen," came to the inventor in her sleep. “It’s the pen for the new millennium,” she says. Encouraged by Nigel Ballard, a leading consultant to the mobile computer industry, Williams took her prototype to the British Telecommunications Research Lab, where she was promptly hired and given money and institutional support for her project. The prototype, called Smart Quill, has been developed by world-leading research laboratories run by BT (formerly British Telecom) at Martlesham, eastern England. It is claimed to be the biggest revolution in handwriting since the invention of the pen. The sleek and stylish prototype pen is different from other electronic pens on the market today in that users don't have to write on a special pad in order to record what they write. User could use any surface for writing such as paper, tablet, screen or even air. The Smart Quill isn't all space-age, though -- it contains an ink cartridge so that users can see what they write down on paper. Smart Quill contains sensors that record movement by using the earth's gravity system, irrespective of the platform used. The pen records the information inserted by the user. Your words of wisdom can also be uploaded to your PC through the “digital inkwell”, while the files that you might want to view on the pen are downloaded to Smart Quill as well.
    [Show full text]
  • ISLAMIC and INDIAN ART Tuesday 18 October 2016
    ISLAMIC AND INDIAN ART Tuesday 18 October 2016 ISLAMIC AND INDIAN ART Tuesday 18 October 2016 at 11am 101 New Bond Street, London VIEWING Live online bidding is available CUSTOMER SERVICES ILLUSTRATIONS Sunday 16 October 11am to 3pm for this sale Monday to Friday Front cover: lot 11 (detail) Monday 17 October 9am to 4.30pm Please email [email protected] 8.30am to 6pm Back cover: lot 101 with ‘live bidding’ in the subject +44 (0) 20 7447 7447 Inside front cover: lot 302 (detail) Inside back cover: lot 128 (detail) SALE NUMBER line 48 hours before the auction 23437 to register for this service As a courtesy to intending bidders, Bonhams will provide a IMPORTANT INFORMATION CATALOGUE Please note: written Indication of the physical £30.00 Telephone bidding is available only condition of lots in this sale if a In February 2014 the United on lots where the lower end request is received up to 24 States Government estimate is at £1000 or above. hours before the auction starts. announced the intention to BIDS This written Indication is issued ban the import of any ivory +44 (0) 20 7447 7447 ENQUIRIES subject to Clause 3 of the Notice into the USA. Lots +44 (0) 20 7447 7401 fax Oliver White to Bidders. containing ivory are To bid via the internet please (Head of Department) indicated by the symbol Ф visit bonhams.com +44 207 468 8303 printed beside the Lot [email protected] number in this catalogue. Please note that bids should be submitted no later than 4pm on Matthew Thomas the day prior to the sale.
    [Show full text]
  • Mamluk Studies Review, Vol. XXI (2018)
    MAMLŪK STUDIES REVIEW XXI 2018 MAMLŪK STUDIES REVIEW XXI 2018 MIDDLE EAST DOCUMENTATION CENTER (MEDOC) THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MAMLŪK STUDIES REVIEW published by the middle east documentation center (medoc) the university of chicago E-ISSN 1947-2404 (ISSN for printed volumes: 1086-170X) Mamlūk Studies Review is an annual, Open Access, refereed journal devoted to the study of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Syria (648–922/1250–1517). The goals ofMamlūk Studies Review are to take stock of scholarship devoted to the Mamluk era, nurture communication within the field, and promote further research by encouraging the critical discussion of all aspects of this important medieval Islamic polity. The journal includes both articles and reviews of recent books. Submissions of original work on any aspect of the field are welcome, although the editorial board will periodically is- sue volumes devoted to specific topics and themes.Mamlūk Studies Review also solicits edited texts and translations of shorter Arabic source materials (waqf deeds, letters,fatawa and the like), and encourages discussions of Mamluk era artifacts (pottery, coins, etc.) that place these resources in wider contexts. An article or book review inMamlūk Studies Review makes its author a contributor to the scholarly literature and should add to a constructive dialogue. Questions regarding style should be resolved through reference to the MSR Editorial and Style Guide (http://mamluk. uchicago.edu/msr.html) and The Chicago Manual of Style. Transliterated Middle Eastern languages should conform to the system utilized by the Library of Congress (see the conversion chart near the end of this volume).
    [Show full text]