Document Type : Original Article
Author
Assistant professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Arts, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
Eastern Kufic script, applied in copying of Qur`ans, was developed from early Kufic and was diversified between 4th to 7th /10th- 13th centuries in East of the world of Islam. Despite significance of the script in copying Qur`an, and also the large number of works remained with this script, there are rare research on the different styles of it. This may be due to lack of information about the script in the first hand resources or lack of colophon or any other information about the calligraphers and date of copying of many of the manuscripts. But for now a Qur`an held by Astan Quds Razawi that specifies date and place of production help us to cognition of a style of Eastern Kufic script and paves the way for knowing about a regional style in Persian calligraphy. According to the colophon, the Qur`an copied in Isfahan in 327 AH/993 AD. The Qur`an was endowed by an anonymous person, named Kashwad ibn Amlas, likely in 5th/11th century. Similarity among the script of the manuscript and some other Qur`an shows that the style was very common in the center of Iran probably through 4 and 5th/ 10-11th century. This article while introduces the Isfahan Qur`an and presenting a detailed survey on its script, takes a look on 5 similar Qur`ans. The conclusion of the article shows that the main characteristics of Isfahan style of Eastern Kufic are: a style on the basis of cursive forms, tiny “v” shaped and horizontal connections of the letters, short height of vertical letters (such as alif), and lack of oblong letters except at the end of the lines.
Keywords: Isfahan, Eastern Kufic, Stylistics, Calligraphy, Kufic Script, Qur`a
Eastern Kufic script, applied in copying of Qur`ans, was developed from early Kufic and was diversified between 4 th to 7 th /10 th- 13 th centuries in East of the world of Islam. Despite significance of the script in copying Qur`an, and also the large number of works remained with this script, there are rare research on the different styles of it. This may be due to lack of information about the script in the first hand resources or lack of colophon or any other information about the calligraphers and date of copying of many of the manuscripts. But for now a Qur`an held by Astan Quds Razawi that specifies date and place of production help us to cognition of a style of Eastern Kufic script and paves the way for knowing about a regional style in Persian calligraphy. According to the colophon, the Qur`an copied in Isfahan in 327 AH/993 AD. The Qur`an was endowed by an anonymous person, named Kashwad ibn Amlas, likely in 5 th/11 th century.
Keywords
)