By : Hora Najafi

B.Arch first year 2007-08

Calligraphy

Calligraphy is the art of writing . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner". The story of writing is one of aesthetic evolution framed within the technical skills, transmission speed(s) and materials limitations of a person, time and place. A style of writing is described as a script, hand or alphabet.

This page introduces the central place of good writing to many cultures from the distant past through to contemporary societies .

Calligraphy today ranges from functional hand lettered inscriptions and designs to fine art pieces where the abstract expression of the handwritten mark may or may not supersede the legibility of the letters. Classical calligraphy differs from typography and non-classical hand-lettering, though a calligrapher may create all of these; characters are historically disciplined yet fluid and spontaneous, improvised at the moment of writing. Calligraphy continues to flourish in the forms of wedding and event

invitations, font design / typography, original hand-lettered logo design , religious art, various announcements/ graphic design/ commissioned calligraphic art, cut stone inscriptions and memorial documents. Also props and moving images for film and television, testimonials, birth and death certificates/maps, and other works involving writing.

Asian calligraphy typically uses ink brushes to write Chinese characters. Calligraphy is considered an important art in East Asia and the most refined form of East Asian painting.

Calligraphy has also influenced ink and washes painting, which is accomplished using similar tools and techniques. Calligraphy has influenced most major art styles in East Asia, including sumi-e, a style of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese painting based entirely on calligraphy.

China calligraphy , indian calligraphy , persian calligraphy , islamic calligraphy , Tibetan calligraphy , Western Calligraphy and modern Western Calligraphy and Maya Calligraphy are kinds of calligraphy.

Calligraphy is the most highly regarded and most fundamental element of Islamic art. It is significant that the Qur’an, the book of God's revelations to the Prophet Muhammad, was transmitted in Arabic, and that inherent within the Arabic script is the potential for developing a variety of ornamental forms. The employment of calligraphy as ornament had a definite aesthetic appeal but often also included an underlying talismanic component. While most works of art had legible inscriptions, not all Muslims would have been able to read them. One should always keep in mind, however, that calligraphy is principally a means to transmit a text, albeit in a decorative form.Objects from different periods and regions vary in the use of calligraphy in their overall design, demonstrating the creative possibilities of calligraphy as ornament. In some cases, calligraphy is the dominant element in the decoration. In these examples, the artist exploits the inherent possibilities of the Arabic script to create writing as ornament. An entire word can give the impression of random brushstrokes, or a single letter can develop into a decorative knot. In other cases, highly esteemed calligraphic works on paper are themselves ornamented and enhanced by their decorative frames or backgrounds .

Calligraphy can also become part of an overall ornamental program, clearly separated from the rest of the decoration. In some examples, calligraphy can be combined with vegetal scrolls on the same surface though often on different levels, creating an interplay of decorative elements.

Tools in calligraphy

The principal tools for a calligrapher are the pen, which may be flat- or round-nibbed and the brush (Reaves & Schulte 2006; Child 1985; Lamb 1956). For some decorative purposes, multi-nibbed pens — steel brushes — can be used. However, works have also been made with felt-tip and ballpoint pens, although these works do not employ angled lines. Ink for writing is usually water-based and much less viscous than the oil based inks used in printing. High quality paper, which has good consistency of porousness, will enable cleaner lines,[citation needed] although parchment or vellum is often used, as a knife can be used to erase work on them and a light box is not needed to allow lines to pass through it. In addition, light boxes and templates are used to achieve straight lines without pencil markings detracting from the work. Lined paper, either for a light box or direct use, is most often lined every quarter or half inch, although inch spaces are occasionally used, such as with litterea unciales (hence the name), and college ruled paper acts as a guideline often as well.Batarde can be traced back to the late 14th, early 15th century and is so named as a gothic blend of the Textura and Quadrata.

Persian calligraphy and

history

As mentioned before, among contemporary Persian Calligraphy styles, “Nas’taliq” and “Cursive Nas’taliq” are certainly the most popular ones. This is the reason that we will be trying to focus on these two styles. There are a few distinct forms to present these calligraphy styles and we will have a pictorial overview on these forms:Linear-Script (Satr Nevisi): Usually to write a single quote                                                                                                 

  

                                 

Double-Line Script (Beyt Nevisi): Usually to write a verse of a poem

Double-Diagonal-Script (Chalipa):

Usually to write two verses ina diagonal format. It follows very strict rules that make this form the most difficultform. This form is one of themajor parts of the nation-Wide calligraphy exams held by Iran Society of Calligraphers.

                                                                                  

Fine-Script (Ketaabat): To write a whole paragraph or to write a short historical story in a few lines. This form also is one of the major parts of the nation-wide calligraphy exams in Society of Persian Calligraphers.

Letterhead-Script (Katibeh): Usually to write a quote in a decorative form sometimes with scrambled words that often makes it hard to read. One of the most common techniques in this form is arranging stretched word on top of each other in such a way that stretched letters are parallel. Another technique is to arrange curved or circular letters next to one

another. This form may be used as architecturaldecoration on entrance arches in mosques, shrines

,or even luxurious houses .

Decorative-Repetitive-Script (Siah-Mashq): This form has been originally practice of calligrapher on a single piece of paper. Obviously main purpose is to preserve paper. Nevertheless, during the centuries it has been noticed these harmonic elegant movements of those dancing curves creating beautiful repetitions may be

Calligraphy-Painting (Khat-Naqqashi):

This form is one of the most beautiful forms of the

contemporary Persian calligraphy.  It presents

calligraphy and painting combined together.

an independent calligraphy form itself.  

Principles of Persian Calligraphy

Persian Calligraphy is based on 12 important principles: 1. Base-line (Khat-e-Korsee):  This is a virtual line that the words will be nested on. It is not necessarily a straight horizontal line. It may be curved of diagonal but in any case it has to follow certain rules2. Combination (Tarkib): This principle emphasizes on the harmony between the individual letters and words in relation with one another to make an appropriate graphical figure as a whole. It is also important to have a nice distribution of darkness and whiteness in the calligraphy piece as a whole.3. Proportion (Nesbat): This principle emphasizes on appropriate proportional size of the letters and words in comparison with each other.4. Strength (Qovvat) and5. Slimness (Za’f)The words “Strength” and “Slimness” represent sturdiness or slimness of the letters or movements whenever appropriate.   6. Flatness (Sath) and 7. Curvature (Dowr) It shows importance of flatness or roundness of the  

stretched or curved letters or words whenever appropriate .

8 .Descent (So’oud) and 

9 .Ascent (Nozoul) These two principles determine where letters or words must be in a slightly move ascending or descending to look more appropriate.    Other principles are summarized as follows:

10 .Basics (Ossoul)

11 .Virtue (Safaa)

12 .Value (Sha’n)

List of Persian Calligraphy Tools

-Bamboo Pen (Qalam Ney) -Pen Sharpener (Qalam-Taraash)

-Nib-Finishing Pad (Qat-Zan) -Ink (Morakkab)

-Ink Container (Davaat) -Silky Ink-Controller (Liqeh)

-Paper (Kaaqaz)-Writing Pad (Zir-Dasti)

                                                                                            

Persian Calligraphy Bamboo Pen (Qalam Ney)                                                                                       Ink Container with Silk in it

Nib-Finishing Pad and Pen-Sharpener

History of Persian Calligraphy  

It is believed that ancient Persian script was invented by about 500-600 BC to provide monument inscriptions for the Achaemenid kings. These scripts consisted of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal nail-shape letters and that is the reason in Farsi it is called “Script of Nails” (Khat-e-Mikhi). Centuries later, other scripts such as “Pahlavi” and “Avestaee” scripts became popular in ancient Persia .

Ancient Persian Script - "Script of Nails" or "Khat-e-Mikhi"

After initiation of Islam in the 7th century, Persians adapted Arabic alphabet to Farsi language and developed contemporary Farsi alphabet. Arabic alphabet has 28 characters and Iranians added another four letters in it to arrive at existing 32 Persian (Farsi) letters.

Persian Calligraphy – Nas’taliq StyleEven the second most popular script that is Cursive Nas’taliq (Shekasteh Nas-taliq) noticeably follows the same rules as Nas’taliq, with a little more flexibility of course.

Persian Calligraphy - Cursive Nas’taliq Style

History of Nas’taliq

It was about 10th century that “Ebn-e-Moqlah Beyzavi Shirazi” conducted a research and studied six major calligraphy styles and categorized them. These styles were "Mohaqqaq", "Reyhan", "Sols", "Naskh", "Reqaa", and "Towqee". All of these calligraphy styles followed 12 major principles. After “Ebn-e-Moqlah” another calligraphy master named “Hassan Farsi Kateb” combined “Naskh” and “Reqaa” styles and invented a new style, called “Taliq”. Eventually in the 14th century, “Mir Ali Heravi Tabrizi” combined two major scripts of his time i.e. Naskh and Taliq and created the most attractive Persian Calligraphy style, “Nas’taliq.”

History of Cursive Nas’taliq

Cursive Nas’taliq (Shekasteh Nas’taliq) was invented in the 17th century. This calligraphy style is pretty much based on same rules as Nas’taliq but it offers more flexible movements. It is a little more stretched and curved. Some believe “Moteza-Qoli Shamloo” is inventor of this style while others believe it was “Mohammad Shafee Heravi” who introduced Cursive Nas’taliq first .

Almost a century later, a prominent artist named “Darvish Abdolmajid Taleqani” improved this style to perfection.  Among contemporary calligraphers in this style, “Yadollah Kaboli” definitely ranks in the most outstanding place.

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http://www.persiancalligraphy.org

http://www.metmuseum.org

http://www.islamicity.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

Bonyade Andishe Islami , Gholamreza Rahpeyma