Calligraphy

Leaf from a Qur'an Manuscript, Detached folio from a non-illustrated manuscript, 1307-1308; Ilkhanid Ahmad ibn al-Suhrawardi al-Bakri, Calligrapher Attributed to Baghdad, Iraq Ink, colors, and gold on paper; 20 3/16 x 14 1/2 in. (51.3 x 36.8 cm) Rogers Fund, 1955 (55.44) www.metmuseum.org

Calligraphy is the most important element in Islamic art. It was considered the noblest form of art because of its association with the Koran, a holy text written in Arabic. Interest in beautiful writing extends to all arts -- including metalwork, pottery, stone, inscriptions on palaces.

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