Making of the Master at the British Museum
The MBI Al Jaber Foundations’ interest in cultural heritage was shown by a grant to the Arabic calligraphy exhibition entitled Making of the Master which was at the British Museum from 25 April to 4 September 2005.
A living tradition
Arabic calligraphy is taught today in the same way that it has been for over 1000 years, and it takes years of study. One must start as an apprentice, tutored by a master who is himself part of a chain of calligraphers traditionally going back to the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, well known for his mastery of the art.
Making of the Master highlights this living tradition by displaying the ijaza or calligrapher’s certificate of the master calligrapher, Hasan Çelebi and those of a number of students who have graduated from him including HRH Ali bin Nayef of Jordan.
Those interested in learning more about Arabic calligraphy might like to read:
- Derman, U. Letters of gold: Ottoman calligraphy from the Sakip Sabanci Collection, Istanbul. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 1998
- Ja’far, M. Arabic calligraphy: naskh style for beginners. British Museum Press London 2002
- Mansour, N. The ijaza in Arabic calligraphy (written in Arabic). Dar Majdalawi publishing, Amman 2000
- Safadi, Y. Islamic calligraphy. Thames and Hudson, London 1978
- Schimmel, A. Calligraphy and Islamic culture. New York University Press, New York 1990
