Spirited history and comprehensive instruction manual covers 13 styles (ca. 4th–15th centuries). Excellent photographs; directions for duplicating medieval techniques with modern tools. "Vastly rewarding and illuminating." — American Artist.

Spanning over 1200 years, from the 7th to 19th centuries, this history traces the evolution of Qur'an manuscripts across the vast expanse of the Islamic empire, stretching from Spain to the borders of China.

Now back in print, “the ultimate book-lover’s gift book” (Los Angeles Times) In 1561–62 the master calligrapher Georg Bocskay (died 1575), imperial secretary to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, created Mira calligraphiae monumenta (Model Book of Calligraphy) as a demonstration of his own preeminence among scribes. Some thirty years later, Ferdinand’s grandson, the Emperor Rudolf II, commissioned Europe’s last great manuscript illuminator, Joris Hoefnagel (1542–1600), to embellish the work. The resulting book is at once a treasury of extraordinary beauty and a landmark in the cultural debate between word and image. Bocskay assembled a vast selection of contemporary and historical scripts for a work that summarized all that had been learned about writing to date—a testament to the universal power of the written word. Hoefnagel, desiring to prove the superiority of his art over Bocskay’s words, employed every resource of illusionism, color, and form to devise all manner of brilliant grotesques, from flowers, fruit, insects, and animals to monsters and masks. Unavailable for nearly a decade, this gorgeous volume features over 180 color illustrations, as well as scholarly commentary and biographies of both artists to inspire scholars, bibliophiles, graphic designers, typographers, and calligraphers.

Discover the timeless art of beautiful writing! This introduction to creating calligraphy combines beginner-friendly clarity with thorough guidance and gorgeous examples. Introduces nine major calligraphic styles, with detailed diagrams and tips for writing each letter.Sub-sections include histories of each alphabet, step-by-step tutorials for embellishing your calligraphy, and ways to showcase your elegant lettering.Full color photographs and illustrations throughout.

Learn how to illuminate your writing like the scribes of the past, bringing letters to life with plant and animal motifs, swirling vines and leaves, graceful arabesques and flourishes, fantastical imagery, and more. Draw creatures cavorting across the page as Gothic illuminators did, or create the knotwork seen in famous Celtic manuscripts. Step-by-step tutorials, tips for creating striking effects, and blank letterforms you can illuminate yourself make this the perfect modern-day guide to the medieval art of beautiful writing. 160 pages. 6-1/4" wide x 8-1/4" high (15.9 cm wide x 21 cm high). Rights: World (English)

What is a historiated initial? What are canon tables? What is a drollery? This revised edition of Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms offers definitions of the key elements of illuminated manuscripts, demystifying the techniques, processes, materials, nomenclature, and styles used in the making of these precious books. Updated to reflect current research and technologies, this beautifully illustrated guide includes images of important manuscript illuminations from the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum and beyond. Concise, readable explanations of the technical terms most frequently encountered in manuscript studies make this portable volume an essential resource for students, scholars, and readers who wish a deeper understanding and enjoyment of illuminated manuscripts and medieval book production.