Includes bibliographical references.

Tracing the origins: legend and epigraphy; myths of origin; tawqaf and istillah; epigraphical confusions. The proportions of the line: the alif module; the geometric interplay; colour; miniature and arabesque; the pen. Schools and styles: typology; meaning and the written word; diacritical signs; kufic and naskhi; ibn Muqla; ibn al-Bawweb; calligraphy and history. Symbolism of the page: the spell of the face; jafr, or the science of letters; futuhat, or isolated letters; the bismillah; the margin; the signature. In the sight of Allah: a delicate vibration; ornamentation of buildings. The architectural context: landmarks; styles. Contemporary painting: zenderoudi; koraishi; boullata.

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.