5 December 2005 – 5 March 2006
From the collection of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Rhythm & Verses presents an assortment of single folios produced in Iran from the 16th to the 19th century AD. The collection highlights the splendour of the Arabic script, rendered in both the Arabic and Persian languages, and aims to unveil the harmonious beauty and mystical rhythms of the calligrapher’s art.
The display offers a rich gateway to a variety of calligraphic styles, including Naskh & Riqqa', Ta'liq and Nasta'liq, Shikasteh and Siyah Mashq. It also highlights the contributions of such prominent and renowned calligraphers as Mir Imad (d.1615) and Dervish Abdul Majid Taliqani (d.1771). The exhibition further introduces calligraphy as a verbal expression with measured cadences, Sufi rhythms and musical scores that transcend time.
Rhythm & Verses honours the Persian calligrapher as a composer, designer, poet and litterateur. Through devotion and wisdom, the calligrapher uses his instrument, the reed pen, to orchestrate the rhythm of each couplet of every folio. He feels the resonance of the words, listens to their beat, to the tempo of the strokes and perfects the synchrony of hand and instrument.
The publication Rhythm & Verses is available for purchase at the Museum Shop.