Manuscript as a work of art
Calligraphy and miniatures in Islamic manuscripts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23312227 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Meirambek Shimtemir (0000-0001-8942-5803, Nur-Mubarak University), Bagdat Manabayev (Islamic University), Nurlan Balpanov (Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages), Yerkinbek Shokay (0009-0000-6585-0303, Nur-Mubarak University), Kairat Kurmanbayev (0000-0003-4080-1569, Nur-Mubarak University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Pharos Journal of Theology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2414-3324 • E-ISSN: 2414-3324 |
| Publisher | Africajournals (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.46222/pharosjot.107.505 |
| OpenAlex | W7171799898 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
The relevance of the study is caused by insufficient scholarly examination of the Islamic manuscript book as an integral artistic object, especially during the key period of transition from manuscript to early print culture. The aim of the work is to identify the interrelationship between material form, artistic design, and genre content of Central Asian manuscripts. The research was conducted using a comprehensive methodology, including comparative analysis of manuscript and lithographic techniques, stylistic analysis of calligraphy and miniatures, as well as the study of material carriers such as paper, inks, and bindings. The main results showed that calligraphy occupied a dominant position in the hierarchy of the arts, and the choice of scripts, such as naskh or nasta'liq, was directly linked to the genre of the work - didactic, poetic, or historical. It was established that figurative and non-figurative elements of the manuscript functioned as “paratext”, where the ornamental programme signalled the sacred or secular nature of the text, and miniatures performed various functions depending on the genre, from exegetical (interpretative) in Qur'anic narratives to narrative in epic literature and documentary in chronicles. This study confirmed that the Islamic manuscript constituted an integral artistic object in which every material and aesthetic component was deliberately used to interpret and enhance the communicative function of the text. The results obtained propose an analytical model for analysing the manuscript as a dynamic space in which artistic form was strategically determined by intellectual objectives, reflecting complex cultural hierarchies and values. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the development of an interdisciplinary analytical model that provides the possibility not only of descriptive analysis but also of interpretation of manuscript material as an integral cultural artefact. The results obtained and the methodological approaches may be used in subsequent studies of manuscript collections and in related fields of the humanities.
Calligraphy · Hierarchy · Islam · Literal and figurative language · Narrative · Object (grammar) · Period (music) · Representation (politics) · Architecture and Cultural Influences · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Linguistic, Cultural, and Literary Studies
Studies on Sufism in Central Asia
Picturing History at the Ottoman Court
Art of the book
Text and Performance in the Hikmät of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi
The importance of a semantic approach in understanding the texts of the Holy Quran and Sunnah
Mutual Cooperation of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the States of Central Asia in 1991-2000
Muslim Culture in Russia and Central Asia
Painters, Paintings and Books
Notes on the early history of paper in Central Asia based on material evidence
Aḥmad Yasavī and the Ismāʿīlīs of Badakhshān
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |