Thursday, January 23, 2020

Review: How to Read Islamic Calligraphy by Maryam D. Ekhtiar

Emily Neumeier reviewed How to Read Islamic Calligraphy by Maryam D. Ekhtiar in the January 22, 2020 Los Angeles Review of Books. Professor Maryam Ekhtiar works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Ekhtiar’s volume is part of a wider How to Read series of handbooks produced by different departments at the Met, designed to equip readers with the essential tools and background to appreciate an entire class of materials ranging from Greek vases to Oceanic art. While the series in general promises to prepare its audience to “read” all kinds of art objects, the resulting title for this specific installment is particularly apt, because it points to the most fundamental (and fascinating) characteristic of Islamic calligraphy: that it is an art form meant to be seen as well as read." -- read more --


Patrick J D'Silva also wrote a positive review of the book for Reading Religion, published July 25, 2019.

I have not read the book.