Page 33 - Demo

No. 292 | May 202533IntroductionAs the noblest of visual arts, calligraphy has long been of interest to creative Iranians. With its visual power and the profound impact on the human soul and body, this has played an undeniable role in shaping other Iranian-Islamic arts. It has continually attracted artists from other disciplines to benefit from this divine gift, which has been passed down through the skilled hands of such masters as Ibn Muqalla, Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Hilal, Mirza Jafar Baysunquri, Mir Emad Hassani, Mir Ali Heravi, Mirza Gholam Reza Esfahani, and Mirza Kalhor, etc., whose art and craftsmanship reflect the radiance of divine beauty. With its strong structure and unique coherence in the arrangement of letters and words, Iranian calligraphy grants artists the freedom to wield this art effectively in conveying their message. As a result, all visual arts - including graphic design - have greatly benefited from this distinctive quality of calligraphy. It is perhaps through this very process that arts such as calligraphic painting and graphic calligraphy emerged, enabling Iranian artists to transmit the Hadith of the soul - through a masterful fusion of line and visual symbolism - to both the mystic and the layman alike.The Evolution of Calligraphy in IranThe 9th century AH should be considered as the golden age of Iranian calligraphy, when, along with other arts such as painting, illumination, and manuscript design, this art, too, began to experience evolution. During this period, calligraphy transcended mere artistry and became a messenger of peace, an indicator of the level of culture, and a representative of Iranian identity.When Amir Ali-Shir Navai transcribed Jami%u2019s Divan in the Nastaliq script and presented it to Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II as a gesture of friendship, the cultural significance of this Persian art was profoundly affirmed. In administrative contexts, official correspondence was rendered in calligraphic script, while such styles as %u2018Qatieh Nevisi (writing a page in such a way that it expresses a specific issue) and %u2018Chalipa%u2019 (a panel in the Nastaliq script) marked distinct artistic merit. Through these applications, calligraphy became increasingly intertwined with other art forms, further elevating its stature.Despite the widespread chaos and military upheavals during the Timurid era, Iranian art, especially calligraphy, not only endured but flourished. Due to its encompassing structure, prescribed rules, and systematic framework evolution of calligraphy is inherently challenging. However, this period witnessed remarkable creativity and innovation while preserving the art%u2019s foundational principles. One of the reasons for the attractiveness of the art of calligraphy was the use of methods such as %u2018Left-handed Script (lit. reverse or mirror writing script), %u2018To%u2019aman Script%u2019 (a creative method in Iranian calligraphy in which a combination of words and letters form human or animal figures), %u2018Shekasteh-Basteh (lit. broken line), and %u2018Naqqashi-khat or calligram. The compatibility of these scripts with Iranian culture made this art be used to record Iranian thoughts, ideas, and literature, and to have an Iranian approach. In other words, calligraphy, during the Timurid era, went beyond Iranian culture and became a part of Iranian identity.Nastaliq script embodies both manifest and subtle beauties, revealed to each observer according to their insight and knowledge. This calligraphy has a very special place among Iranians because it has the most beautiful and appropriate shape of Persian letters and words. In writing Nastaliq calligraphy, attention is paid to the arrangement of words to enhance expression and create a sense of peace and beauty in the viewer. In this script, the movement of letters is formed in vertical, horizontal, and circular shapes, each of which creates a diverse structural capability in composition and displays a variety of compositions and a new angle of visual expression of letters. Many calligraphers act visually and sensory to establish balance in a line or, in general, a combination of letters and words in the form of a calligraphic work. The beauty of shapes, elegance, good order, symmetry, good proximity, placement, and moderation in thickness and thinness are among the most important characteristics of Nastaliq calligraphy.At the beginning of the emergence of Nastaliq calligraphy in Iran, two different styles of this calligraphy appeared in the Iranian territories: the Jafar and Azhar styles of Tabriz, which were later promoted by Sultan Ali Mashhadi. This style became widespread in Khorasan and also came to