Museum of Fine Arts (Houston)

A spectacular study of calligraphy, the most esteemed form of visual and textual expression in the Islamic world, through a storied collection of Qur’an manuscripts

Spanning more than a millennium, from the seventh through the nineteenth century, Sea of Ink, Forest of Pens: The Art of the Qur’an in the Hossein Afshar Collection sheds new light on the production of deluxe Qur’an manuscripts across Islamic lands through sixty-four exemplary works. The vast majority of these pieces are published for the first time in this richly illustrated book, which opens with a historical essay tracing important developments and stylistic trends represented in the collection. Renowned Islamic art scholar David Roxburgh examines the evolution and variations of scripts, beginning with the earliest recordings and reflecting on subsequent transformations through key single folios, bifolios, and bound Qur’an manuscripts. He also delves into the art of Qur’anic illumination, and the publication includes a richly illustrated glossary to guide the reader.

Distributed for The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

David Roxburgh is Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Professor of Islamic Art History, Harvard University.