This document provides an overview of Islamic art history, with a focus on calligraphy and arabesque design. It discusses how, with the rise of Islam, visual art developed around notions of beauty and decorum informed by the Quran and Hadith. Calligraphy became a highly important art form, as the script of the Quran was considered a visual manifestation of God's word. The earliest calligraphy styles were Kufic script, which was angular, and Naskhi script, which was cursive. Arabesque design also emerged, featuring abstract, geometrical patterns of vegetation and other non-representational motifs since figurative artwork was forbidden. These styles were widely used in architecture, manuscripts, coins, and other

1. HISTORY
OF
ART AND DESIGN
By
Assoc. Prof.
Hj. Mohamed Ali Abdul Rahman
•F A C U L T Y O F A R T A N D D E S I G N , U N I S E L , S E S S I O N 2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2
CHAPTER 6

2. CHAPTER 6: ISLAMIC ART
6.1 Calligraphy and Arabesque Design
A S S O C . P R O F . M O H A M E D A L I A B D U L R A H M A N & E R R Y A R H A M A Z M I
• In AD. 622, Prophet Muhammad ushered in a new age and a
renewed and perfected the religion – The Islam.
• As a religious community started in Medina and later in Mecca,
evolving out of a virtual vacuum of visual art activity, Islam provides
a fascinating case study of how art develops around, and then
reacts to existing notions of beauty and decorum.
• Most parts of Arabic culture survived through visual expression and
oral means; such as literature, poetry and music.
• Although proper visual art does not exist in Islam, however several
words in Arabic language could be referred to as;
• “Al-Fann” means the arts.
• “Al-Musawwar”- something that have been decorated with
pictures.

3. A S S O C . P R O F . M O H A M E D A L I A B D U L R A H M A N & E R R Y A R H A M A Z M I
• Al-Quran or the Koran, the holy book of Islam and the Al-
Hadith (traditions about the Prophet) are the sources of
Islamic faith and later become as the only guidance for
visual arts to develop.
• There is a story about the prophet Esa (Esab / Iesus / Jesus)
and the four birds in Al-Quran. With God consent the birds
became alive after their remains were mixed and were
being placed on four distance mountains. It indicates that
such act of creativity and to give life is the awesome power
of the God.
• The God is the only sole source of inspiration (Al-Ilham)
behind any creative act. The artist’s creativity is simply an
extension of God’s will and thus his or her art must be a
glowing example of God’s magnificience.

4. 6.2 The Important roles of Islamic Calligraphy
A S S O C . P R O F . M O H A M E D A L I A B D U L R A H M A N & E R R Y A R H A M A Z M I
• Many parts of the Islamic empire
such as around Mediterranean basin
(Spain, Syria and Northern Africa),
and in the eastern countries such as
Persia and India; where
representational imagery was already
present, such new adherens to the
Al-Quran had prevailed.
• In order to avoid the Muslim
worshipping the image or as another
representation of God, hence-forth
the tradition of image-making is
forbidden in Islam.
• The unique aspect of Islam is, of
course, the centrality of the Koran as
the undisputed word of God in
written form.
• This meant that the script of the
Koran is some way a visual artifact of
God’s communique to the world.
• The usage of Arabic scripts, as the
only original and final form of the
Koran was spreading rapidly to all
over Islamic empire.
• There also came a need for more
permanent documentation for the
Koranic verses in script, other than it
was memorized by the followers and
al-hafizs; someone who could recite
about 6,000 ayats (phrases and
sentences) from 114 surahs
(chapters) without referring to any
written texts.

5. 6.3 (a) Islamic Calligraphy On Coins
A S S O C . P R O F . M O H A M E D A L I A B D U L R A H M A N & E R R Y A R H A M A Z M I
• Islamic calligraphy, the art of
drawing language, quickly
became the most important
visual document of the Islamic
culture.
• By AD. 750 the motif had found
its way onto coinage. The dirham
minted in Basra in AD 694 – 95
(above coins), and the bottom
two dirham coins minted in
Abarqubedh, Iraq AD. 702 – 03
• The Muslim caliphs removed the
Greek-style portrait busts and
Christian symbols from the top
two coins, and replaced them
with Arabic calligraphy for the
bottom ones.

6. 6.3 (b) Gold Dinar Coins
A S S O C . P R O F . M O H A M E D A L I A B D U L R A H M A N & E R R Y A R H A M A Z M I
• From the earliest times two main
styles of writing existed:
• (a) The angular style named Kufi.
• (b) The cursive style named
Naskhi.
• Scripts soon took on important
place and as another branch for
art. The Kufic script, the earliest
form of Hijayyah letters was
introduced. Later followed by
Naskhi script.
• 10 gold dinar coins minted during
the Umayyad dynasty are among
the collection of Islamic Centre,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

7. 6.4 The Rationalities of Calligraphy as Islamic Art Expression
A S S O C . P R O F . M O H A M E D A L I A B D U L R A H M A N & E R R Y A R H A M A Z M I
Within the context of the Masjid was
located the most advanced and
sophisticated form of artistic
expression – including calligraphy.
• In fact, the use of calligraphy on a
monumental scale is found in no
other culture.
• The pre-eminent of calligraphy
derives from the Koran, in which it is
said the Almigthy God Who “taught
man with the Pen”.
• The idea of writing, and the
importance of writing is found
everywhere in the Holy Book.
• Calligraphy that derived from Arabic
hijayyah letters considered as the
God’s gift to the world through
Prophet Muhammad as His final
Rasul in the world ( the last
Messenger of Allah )– hence the
popular phrase is derived –
• “the miraculous gift of Arabic.”
Writing was considered to be of
divine origin; the fate of every human
being was written. In fact the first
Koranic phrase delivered is started
with the word “Iqra’ from the Surah
Al-Alaq; a commanding word of The
God, asking Prophet Muhammad to
read with His Almigthy’s Name: Allah
• Consequently, the writing of the
Koran had to be worthy of its eternal
beauty.
• It is for these reasons that of all the
art-forms, calligraphy can be
considered as the most typical
expression of the Islamic spirit.

8. 6.5 (a) Characteristics of Kufic Script
A S S O C . P R O F . M O H A M E D A L I A B D U L R A H M A N & E R R Y A R H A M A Z M I
• This early Kufic script was written
on vellum Al-Quran leaf and
dated on 4-5th c. AH.(Anno
Hijriah /Hagera)
• Kufic script is popularly known as
the angular letter, where a
verticle and a horizontal lines
meet each other at a point and
create a 90 degrees right angle.
• Although these two lines are
rather static and without any
movement, however the strength
and tension of this script lie at
this meeting point.
• Formerly, it was used to write Al-
Quran and the rulers’ official
letters.

9. 6.5 (b) Variations of Kufic Script
• There are several types and
variations of Kufic script, such as:
• * Early Kufi (previous slide)
• * Inter-twinned Kufi. (line 2b.)
• * Eastern or crooked Kufi.(line 3)
• * Mirror-image Kufi. (line 4 )
• * Floriated and vegetal Kufi.
• * Kufi with human figures
• and animals ( manuscript only).

10. 6.5 (c) Kufic Script in Koran and Tombstone
• Two Koran pages on the left (top
and bottom) are from an old Kufic
Al-Quran manuscript dated on 28
AH. / 648 AD. This Koran is kept in
Bukhara.
• The script on the right page
belongs to the Eastern Kufi Al-
Quran or crooked Kufi. Some of
the verticle lines are written in
diagonal and slanting positions.
• Structurally, the most important
aspect is the conjunction of the
stem and the root; example
shown in this tombstone
indicates that curvilinear features
are subordinate to the principle
angularity of Kufi.

11. 6.5 (d) Kufic Script in Various Style
• Kufi style illustrates the following
features:
• The Kufi style is also called the
Koranic style.
• (a). Longer and thinner vertical
stems, resulting in a kind of elegance.
• (b). Elaboration of the vertical
stem, using a number of floral
elements.
• (c ). The use of floral elements to fill
the surface between the vertical
stems.
• (d). inclination towards geometrical
forms, whereby a composition is
totally integrated into a mirror-like
symmetry.
• Kufi style was reserved for the copying and
writing of:-
• (1) Holy Book - Al-Quran.
• (2 Official inscriptions as for rulers’
seals.
• (3) Tombstones
• (4) Coins
• (5) The caliphs official
letters;
• (6) The surahs’ titles.
• (7) For masjid domes and
entrancees.
• This style is characterized by its angularity;
the junctions of the letters were clearly
marked and ample spacing were given
between letters.
• Since this style was principally used for
copying the Koran and for official functions,
legibility and clarity were important;
eventhough it was difficult to execute.

12. 6.6 ( a ) Naskhi Script
• This Arabic Manuscript, written in
fine Naskhi script was profusely
illuminated in gold and colours
throughout.
• (1)This beautifully designed
frontispiece was signed by
Othman Hilmi and dated
1307AH.(1889AD);during the
Ottoman Dynasty.
• Another example of Naskhi script
which has been used to decorate
(2)the outer surface of mosque
lamps are made of glass or
ceramics. It is very prominently
displayed and produced such a
beautiful ambience.

13. 6.6 (b) Naskhi Script For Koran
• One of the most striking
examples of design on a flat plane
is the combination of arabesque
elements and floral motifs
infused with naskhi script from a
frontispiece of Al-Quran.
• This frontispiece leaf from the Al-
Quran, probably was written by
Ali ibn Hilal around c. AD. 1000 in
Baghdad.
• In the composition, one may
appreciate the considerable
visual force of some of the most
simple principles of design –
principles that continue to inspire
designers to this day.

14. 6.7 THE ARABESQUE DESIGN
• Since the Muslim designers could
no longer allow to portrait the
human figures in their works of
art, they made such researches
and resorted to produce a more
advance genre of art – the
Abstract patterning and
paintings.
• This visual exploration reached
the highest achievement in
geometrical patterning which is
termed as
The Arabesque.
• Arabesque is often used to
describe the great abstract
designs initiated by these Islamic
artists.

15. 6.7 (a) Arabesque For Exterior Parts of Mosques
or Building

16. 6.7 (b) Arabesque for Interior Decoration of
Mosques

17. 6.7 (c) Arabesque for Mosque Wall Design
• It refers specially to the
combination of calligraphy and
intricate, mathematically study
and precise compositions.
• This art form breaks down into
two basic areas of design; namely
the vegetal and geometric.
• Vegetal design was considered an
appropriate symbol of growth,
change and movement – the
basic vocabulary of life.
• The ivy plant and the grape vine
are typical of these organic
motifs, their wandering, cursive
branches good examples of
abstract design in nature.

18. A S S O C . P R O F . M O H A M E D A L I A B D U L R A H M A N & E R R Y A R H A M A Z M I