“Never hence would I die for I am alive/ having sown the seeds of poetry.”

The Shahnameh by Ferdowsi is celebrating 1000 years since its inception. In recognition, the Islamic Studies Library is exhibiting 16 specimens from the Islamic Studies and Rare Books collections. The Shahnameh has become without a doubt one of the foremost literary works to encapsulate the breadth and depth of Iran’s historical trajectory. First composed by Ferdowsi to preserve Iran’s cultural, linguistic and historical heritage, the Shahnameh, meaning ‘the book of kings,’ details the history of Iran prior to the Arab invasion in the 9th century.

This literary work, a national epic composed in 52, 000 couplets tells the story of heroes, villains, monsters and offers sage advice on moral lessons in governance. Legendary are the stories of its famous kings and heroes, especially of Rustam who so fearlessly defended the Persian kingdom in many spectacular battles against the hostile Turanians from the North. The epic also relates the important features of ideal kingship. It narrates the battle between Good and Evil, and is a constant reminder that life is just a transitory memento.

The ISL exhibition offers the visitor an opportunity to experience some of the heroes and villains of this remarkable epic poem. With 16 miniature paintings on display, the exhibition offers the viewer a diverse overview of this celebrated text as well as the magnificence of Persian painting.

Dear esteemed readers,

The Islamic Studies Library is proud to announce, though somewhat belatedly that we have an Arabic calligraphy exhibition. The exhibition highlights some of the diverse Arabic calligraphy held by McGill University. McGill has been very fortunate in terms of unique collection development, and the Arabic calligraphy is a perfect example of this. There are 16 pieces on display until March, 2010.

Calligraphy is one of the three arts of the book and one of the most important  forms of Islamic art. In fact, Annemarie Schimmel called it “an art which can be called without exaggeration the ‘quintessentail’ art of Islam.”

This exhibition, we hope provides some insight into the diversity of Arabic calligraphy, Muslim culture and, more generally permits the you the viewer ample pleasure in admiring the beauty of Arabic calligraphy.

For additional information see the McGill Library matters publication, p.6.

The catalogue of Arabic calligraphy on display is located here:

DESCRIPTION OF ITEMS
1 – AC 194
Qur’an leaf on parchment, written in kufic/Early Abbasid
Date: 10th-11th century AD
One of the few early Abbasid/Kufic pieces held by McGill.
It is written in dark brown ink, pointed by means of oblique strokes and vocalized with red dots. Small gold rosettes are used for verse division. It is from chapter XVII of the Qur’an, surat al-Isra’ (سورة الإسراء )
2 – AC 135
Qur’an leaf written in naskh (نسخ ) with portions written in micrography
Date: 1200/1785 AD
Author: the colophon tells us that it was executed by the hand of Isma’il al-Zuhdi
3 – AC 8
Two leaves of a Kara-Lamah
Undated
Author: Muhammad Rasim, surnamed Aigri-Kapuly
Rough draft of calligraphy
4 – AC 198
Leaf written in maghrebi (مغربي ), picturesque script used for centuries in North Africa
Date: 15th century AD
Leaf of book of Islamic devotions
5 – AC 61
Panel of nasta’liq (نستعليق ) / jali-ta’liq (جالي تعليق ) calligraphy
Undated
Author: Muhammad Qasim [Tabizi]
Read: “He, who believes in predestination, is secure against anxiety”
6 – AC 156
Diploma (اجازة ) written in different scripts but the most prominent is naskh (نسخ )
Date: 1157/1744-45 AD
Diploma for Hasan al-Rushdi (d. 1205/1790) for the honorary title of scribe. Contains comments of 12 different calligraphists on al-Rushdi’s penmanship
7 – RBD 35
Caligraphy album from Turkey written in Ottoman naskh (نسخ ) while the images are in ghubar (غبار ) script
Date: 13th/19th century AD
On the left is the word Allah (God) and on the right is the name of the Prophet Muhammad both executed in micrography consisting of prayers
8 – AC 161
Calligraphy album in Ottoman naskh (نسخ )
Date: 18th century
Written most probably by different scribes. It consists of leaves of prayers perhaps used for incantations
9 – AC 74
Calligraphy panel written in thuluth (ثلوث )
Date: 17th century AD
Author: Mustafa, son of the famous Shaykh Hamdu’llah
Contains the following dictum traditionally ascribed to Muhammad: “He, to whom God has vouchsafed a devout heart, a grateful tongue, a body which endures trials patiently, and a believing and faithful wife, is in possession of the world that now is and that which is to come”
10 – AC 159
Calligraphy fragment with top and bottom lines written in thuluth (ثلوث ) and the remaining text in naskh (نسخ )
Date: early 19th century AD
Author: ‘Umar al-Wasfi
Gold borders and illuminated with panels of blue and gold
11 – AC 58
Diploma (اجازة )
Date: 1258/1842-3 AD
Diploma (الاجازة ) of Muhammad Ghalib Fawzi Afandi. It was composed by Mustafa al-Hilmi damad al-Sukuti, ‘Ali al-Hamdi and Hafiz Husayn al-Lutfi, a pupil of Mustafa al-Hilmi
12 – AC 180
Qu’ran leaf written in micrography in naskh (نسخ ) script
Date: 15th century AD
Sparse illuminations in the text were perhaps augmented at a later date. The script in gold denotes the beginning of a new verse (آية )
13 – AC 31
Calligraphy panel written in tawqi’ hand (توقيع ). First line in thuluth (ثلوث ) and remainder of the text is in naskh (نسخ )
Date: most probably 19th century AD
Author: Mahmud Fakhri Afandi
First line contains the invocation: “In the name of God, the pitiful, the compassionate”. Affixed is the placit of two calligraphs
14 – AC 157
Calligraphy panel written in naskh (نسخ )
Date: 18th century AD
Author: Muhammad Amin
Contains the whole of chapter LXXVIII of the Qur’an Surat al-naba (سورة النبا )
15 – AC 91
Isolated leaf written in thuluth (ثلوث ) for the title and in naskh (نسخ ) for the text
Undated
Author: Fayd Allah al-Lam’i
Read: “She intoned the purity of the say and apologized”
16 – AC 199
Persian type calligraphy
Undated
Letters are awkward and childishly formed and a model is set by the teacher (written in red ink). Largely filled with lists of the names of Allah and his attributes together with constant repetitions of the creed: “There is no God but Allah”