Calligraphy

Calligraphy: the art of "elegant handwriting"

Islamic calligraphy, described by Islamic scholars as "a spiritual geometry revealed by physical tools", is perhaps the clearest example of the influence of Islam on art, where the need to write the Koran caused the art form to be born. Here was a way to enrich surfaces such as paper, ceramics, cloths, metals and glass with text that was both geometrical (read "in harmony") and could be shaped and configured to resemble physical objects. In the 15th century, the calligrapher Sheih Hamdullah gave a new originality to this art form, where script and geometrical art forms are interlaced to produce a unique effect.