This exhibit opens Jan. 03, 2019 at the Cincinnati Art Museum:

Richly illuminated folios from poetic and historic manuscripts will be displayed alongside pages from the Qur’an, calligraphic practice sheets, and political decrees in Collecting Calligraphy: Arts of the Islamic World. Through the display of individual folios and complete manuscripts that date from the ninth through the twentieth century, the exhibition emphasizes the craftsmanship and skill evident in each work’s creation.

One can appreciate the symbiotic balance between paper size, script, ornamentation, and illumination in works that originate from a myriad of countries; including Iran, Turkey, India, Spain, and Syria. Discovering Islamic calligraphy through this collection reveals how the art of the book functioned as a vehicle to convey knowledge, disseminate the word of God, and legitimize empire.