Asia Society Museum Presents Complementary Exhibitions
Showcasing Exceptional Masterworks of Islamic Calligraphy
and Related Objects
Traces of the Calligrapher: Islamic Calligraphy in Practice, c. 1600–1900 and
Writing the Word of God: Calligraphy and the Qur'an
On view October 7, 2008 to February 8, 2009
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Calligraphic composition in thuluth script forming
part of Qur'an 28:88 ("All things will perish save
His magnificence"), signed by Ustad Kazim
Khayyat Bashi, Iran, dated 1887–88 (1305 H)
Ink, opaque pigment, and gold on paper
15.7 x 10.7 inches (40 x 27.3 cm) (sheet)
Private collection |
Two complementary exhibitions at Asia Society Museum
explore Islamic art's quintessential art form, calligraphy.
Traces of the Calligrapher: Islamic Calligraphy in
Practice, c. 1600-1900 and Writing the Word of God:
Calligraphy and the Qur'an demonstrate the breadth and
beauty of Islamic calligraphy and the traditions of its
practice across several centuries and two continents.
Together, these exhibitions examine the artistry of the
tools used to create masterful works, examples of
calligraphy, such as practice exercises, manuscripts, and
folios from the Qur'an, and the social prestige associated
with calligraphy. Approximately 150 objects and works
from an important private collection in Houston, from the
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University Art
Museums, and the Morgan Library & Museum, convey
the elegance of the esteemed art form and reveal the skills
of the many artisans—calligraphers, paper makers, gold
beaters, illuminators, bookbinders, and metalworkers, to
name a few—involved in the creation of the tools, the
calligraphies, and the manuscript folios.
The practice of calligraphy constituted an expression of
piety, as stated in the hadith (associated with the Prophet
Muhammad): "the first thing created by God was the pen." Calligraphy became a worthwhile
endeavor for men of all stations and served as a permanent record of the calligrapher's character.
Traces of the Calligrapher maps the practice of the calligrapher from the seventeenth through the
nineteenth centuries both through examples of calligraphy as well as through tools of the trade.
The objects in the exhibition come from Iran, Turkey, and India, and include reed pens,
penknives (used to cut the nib of the pen), and maktas (used to hold the pen during this process),
in addition to inkwells, scissors, burnishers, storage boxes, and writing tables.
The fine craftsmanship of these objects is revealed in the exquisite and detailed designs, which
often employ precious materials such as jade, agate, ivory, ebony, silver, and gold. Calligraphic
practice exercises and fair copies are displayed alongside these implements, and a video shows a
master calligrapher at work. Together, the objects and their output present a comprehensive
overview of the intimate world of the calligrapher and the environment in which he worked.
Writing the Word of God: Calligraphy and the Qur'an is devoted to key developments of the
Islamic scripts of distinct cultural areas, spanning from Spain and North Africa to Greater Iran
from the seventh to the fifteenth centuries. A selection of approximately twenty folios from now
dispersed Qur'ans from the regions will illustrate the rich variety and system of scripts.
Exhibition Organization and Sponsorship
Traces of the Calligrapher and Writing the Word of God have been assembled by guest curators
Mary McWilliams, Norma Jean Calderwood Curator of Islamic and Later Indian Art at the
Arthur M. Sackler Museum, and David J. Roxburgh, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Professor of
Islamic Art History at Harvard University. In Houston, Christine Starkman, curator of Asian art,
and Vivian Li, curatorial assistant in the Asian art department, oversaw the presentation. At Asia
Society, the in-house curator and coordinator is Adriana Proser, John H. Foster Curator of
Traditional Asian Art. The exhibitions are organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and
Harvard University Art Museums. Generous support is provided by Mr. and Mrs. Vahid Kooros;
The Hagop Kevorkian Fund; Mr. and Mrs. Ali Ebrahimi; Douglas Jaffe III – Horseshoe Bay
Resort; Mr. and Mrs. Pat R. Rutherford, Jr.; The Seaver Institute; Fariba and Rainer Buchecker;
and Mr. Kay-Ghobad "Kiddie" Zafar. The exhibitions are presented at Asia Society as part of
Creative Voices of Islam in Asia, a three-year initiative funded in part by the Doris Duke
Foundation for Islamic Art.
Exhibition Catalogue
The exhibition Traces of the Calligrapher: Islamic Calligraphy in Practice, c. 1600-1900 is
accompanied by an illustrated catalogue written by McWilliams and Roxburgh and published by
the MFAH. Writing the Word of God: Calligraphy and the Qur'an is accompanied by an
illustrated catalogue written by David J. Roxburgh. Both catalogues are published by MFAH and
are available for sale at AsiaStore at Asia Society Museum.
About the Asia Society
Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen
relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders and institutions of the United
States and Asia. Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonprofit
educational institution with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne,
Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, and Washington, DC.
Asia Society Museum presents groundbreaking exhibitions and artworks, many
previously unseen in North America. Through exhibitions and related public programs, Asia
Society provides a forum for the issues and viewpoints reflected in both traditional and
contemporary Asian art.
Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), New York City.
The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and Friday from
11:00 am to 9:00 pm. Closed on Mondays and major holidays. General admission is $10,
seniors $7, students $5, and free for members and persons under 16. Free admission Friday
evenings, 6:00 to 9:00 pm.
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Contact: Elaine Merguerian at 212-327-9271
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