4to. 239 pp., 232 illustrations, 98 in colour, publisher’s original pictorial wrappers, notes, biblio, copy in mint condition, Thames & Hudson, London, 2001.

Synopsis

Calligraphy, the art which combines visual image and written word, is perhaps at its most brilliant in the arts of Islam. This is clearly evident on the pages of this book, widely acclaimed on first publication as the most sumptuous and beautiful study ever produced on the subject. Now available again, it combines numerous illustrations of Arabic scripts with an informative background history and a thorough analysis of the geometrical and ornamental principles involved in the calligraphic art.