Very few people think of calligraphy as a religious art form. But the 22 Qurans on display prove it.
The Walters exhibit, titled Speaking the Word of God: Illuminated Korans From The Walters Art Museum, will be shown through April 29, and it features Qurans from the ninth to the 19th centuries.
The Quran, which Muslims believe is a record of the exact words that God spoke to the prophet Muhammad, is Islam?s central religious book. It can be written only in Arabic, but since most Muslims know the book by heart, aesthetic quality is valued over legibility.
“We have a very extensive collection of Islamic books, which are very gorgeous,” said Martina Bagnoli, associate curator of manuscripts and rare books at the museum. “The Quran represents a very important part of Islam and was important to display to the public.”
Bagnoli wanted the exhibit to convey the significance of calligraphy as an art form in Islam. “The way this show is narrated, I?m sort of exploring the development of Quranic calligraphy over the centuries,” Bagnoli said. “In part I am interested in looking at the way the Quran was developed over time and over different parts of the world.”
Calligraphy artist Mohamed Zakariya, who has been studying the art of calligraphy for more than 45 years, said that the amount of time it would take to write the Quran would vary.
“The record for fast Quran writing is held by Ayahya Hilmi, an Ottoman,” he said. “When he was young, he could write one a month. But the Quran is usually more than 600 pages. The average time it would take someone is six months to a year.”
“[This exhibit] is rather heavy visually; the Qurans have a thick, deep look,” Zakariya added. “It?s very difficult to do. Some are quite nice.”
Bagnoli said that even if visitors aren?t familiar with Arabic, they would be able to tell immediately the difference between the centuries. “The ninth-century Qurans are written with an angular, squarish script. Letters are spaced harmoniously over the page, and it?s tough to read because of the separation between letters and words,” she said. “Eventually, it became more like cursive over time. The way this type of script was combined and organized in the page layout, you are not only reading but feasting your eyes on beautiful compositions. It gets difficult to determine which part is script and which is decoration.”
“Every dynastic era tends to have its own calligraphy look,” Zakariya said. “Each had quite a special look and different techniques employed for that period of time.”
“You don?t need to be interested in Islam or the Quran to enjoy the exhibit. Most of these books are exquisite works of art,” Bagnoli said. “It?s easy to be enamored with them just by looking at their beauty. The craftsmanship is exquisite.”
IF YOU GO
Speaking the Word of God: Illuminated Korans
» Date: Through April 29
» Venue: The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore
» Tix: Free
» Info: www.thewalters.org
