The major Islamic Calligraphers of the Arabic Scripts. Note that this list is not complete, if you find any incorrect information or like to contribute please send us an e-mail, thank you.
 

It was in the 3rd century AH (9th-10th century CE) that the master calligrapher Ibn Muqla perfected his theory of "proportioned script" (al-Khatt al-Mansoub), by which the basic letter-shapes of written Arabic could be controlled. Ibn Muqla's work was a major milestone in the history of Arabic penmanship. The principles he laid down transformed Arabic script from rudimentary Kufic strokes to a harmoniously structured art form. The order and beauty which Ibn Muqla devised as visual criteria for the formation of Arabic letter-shapes constituted, first and foremost, an act of worship. The art form into which he converted the execution of written Arabic was one considered truly compatible with preserving and conveying the Word of God as revealed in the Holy Quran.

The detail and order which Ibn Muqla brought to Arabic script extended to the reed pen which, according to his teachings, must be cut in a special, clearly delineated way. For over ten centuries, Arabic calligraphers continued to cut their pens and execute the formal strokes, curves, and dots of written Arabic according to Ibn Muqla's precepts.

He was known also under the name of Ibn al-Sitri, famous calligrapher of the Buwayhid period who died in Baghdad in 1022. He frequented the governmental circles of the period, as he was closely attached to the vizier Fakhr al Mulk Abu Ghalib Muhammad b. Khalaf at Baghdad and was for some time in charge of the library of Buwayhid Baha al-Dawla at Shiraz.

He was also an illuminator (at least one outstanding example of his work surviving), a devout man who knew the Quran by heart and is said to have reproduced sixty-four copies of it, and a man of letters who was well versed in the law and who wrote a treatise and a didactic poem on the art of writing.
 

His real claim to fame, however, according to the early Arab authors, was to have perfected the style of writing invented, about a century earlier, by his famous predecessor, the vizier Ibn Muqla and to have brought it to a degree of well-balanced elegance which was to be surpassed later only by the efforts of Yaqut al-Mustasimi. It nevertheless seems likely that we are today in a position to evaluate the calligraphy of Ibn Bawwab through the unique example of it in a Quran in the Chester Beatty Library (MS K. 16), signed by Ibn Bawwab and dated 391/1000-1, whose calligraphy is as splendid as its illuminations.

He was the court calligrapher of Al-Mustasim Billah, the last Caliph among the Abbasids acquired great fame. He was one of the greatest masters of cursive calligraphy and a script called Yaquri derived its name from him. Two Quran copies written by him in 1290 and 1291 are still extant and exhibit the stiff Naskhi of the later Persian period. Yaqut's signature is written in a kind of Suls. One of his students was Ergun Kamili.

He was one of the six celebrated disciples of Yaqut al-Mustasimi, the greatest master of cursive calligraphy. He copied the Holy Quran in Muhakkak script.

He was one of the six celebrated disciples of Yaqut al-Mustasimi, and he is renowned for his skill in Reyhani style.

He was among master calligraphers that contributed significantly to the production of fine copies of the Quran in Rayhani and Thuluth scripts.

Islamic Calligraphers Part 2 > 3 > 4

ISLAMIC ART

Glossary

Icazet: The diploma awarded by the teacher to a student of calligraphy. This was awarded after the examination of a piece of calligraphy written by the student in the presence of several teachers of the art. A student could not sign his work until he had received his icazet.

Al-Anaam: A small book containing the Sura of Al-Anaam #6 of the Quran, together with several prayers.

Hilye: A name given to a calligraphic composition set within a definite frame and describing the features and qualities of the Prophet in accordance with the tradition handed down.

Istif: A complex calligraphic composition in which the letters composing the words are arranged one on top of the other.

Karalama: Homework (work performed by student outside school).

Kazasker: The head of the kadis (governors of various districts) in the Ottoman State. The kazasker participated in the councils of the viziers held under the chairmanship of the Sadrazam (Grand Vizier).

Murak'ka: This name is given to a type of cardboard formed by sticking firm, rather thick sheets of paper one on top of the other. Kit'as or other pieces of writing are stuck on to these and the margins decorated. The term Murak'ka is applied to a calligraphic album made up of a number of kit'as produced in the manner described above and connected to one another by joining the edges.

Ta'liq: A type of script invented in Iran and which always remained very closely associated with that country. It began to be used in Turkey in the second half of the eleventh century of the Hegira (sixteenth century AD.) following the arrival in Istanbul of Dervish Abdi of Bukhara, one of the pupils of mad-i Hasani, the great Iranian master of Ta'Iiq. Dervish Abdi introduced a smaller and finer version of Ta'liq known as Nesta'liq, and his influence led to a great increase in the number of calligraphers who developed an interest in Ta'Iiq and, consequently, in the number of works produced in this script.