Arabic Calligraphy

[mamer 0]

The old Arabs didn’t have much of visual art compared to other cultures around them. At the early stages of Islam, painting and sculpture were not allowed for some valid reasons at that time, now it’s not prohibited.

 

The need for visual expression pushed the artists to create wonderful formations of ornaments using a huge variety of patterns that mainly consist of the repetitions of flora and geometric elements.

 

 

At the same time the Arabic calligraphy started to take more artistic form and changed gradually from the very geometric sharp form to graceful and elegant formations. With time, the calligraphers developed strict metrics for letter shape and letter proportions. The measuring unit was the size of a diamond shape dot that is written with the same pen used for the rest of the writing.

 

The circle shape seems to have a lot of significance in the old cultures and in Sophism. It’s the symbol of perfection. Whether the early calligraphers were aware of that or not, all Arabic letters could be seen as written in within the boundaries of a circle.

 

Edited February 7, 2013 by mamer (see edit history)

[sheepdog 10]

Interesting subject. I'm curious as to why creativity in painting and sculpture were not allowed early on, and what changed in later years to allow such things?

[mamer 0]

Interesting subject. I'm curious as to why creativity in painting and sculpture were not allowed early on, and what changed in later years to allow such things?

I think that's because paganism was the previous religion of most of the Arabs and thewre was a fear that some people might gradually convert back to it. People were not used to worship a God that they can't see. Later on over more than 100 years obviously things have changed and idolatry lost its base.

[sheepdog 10]

Ok, that sounds like a completely logical explaination. I'd bet you as they say, hit the nail on the head. Anyway, it makes good sense to me.