Persian And Arabic Calligraphy Book Collection ... Jun 2026

Historical calligraphy collections are often organized by the "six main styles"—Kufic, Naskh, Muhaqqaq, Diwani, Thuluth, and Reqa'—which standardized the art form starting in the 10th century. Anthology of Iranian Masters of Calligraphy - Reed College

A serious collection starts with these core titles. They range from rare, out-of-print museum catalogs to modern encyclopedias. Persian and Arabic Calligraphy Book Collection ...

These are instructional manuals that show the geometric proportions ( al-khatt al-mansub ) of each letter. For a collector, vintage 20th-century Persian lithographed guidebooks are particularly valuable. These are instructional manuals that show the geometric

| | What to Inspect | | :--- | :--- | | Plates | Are they tipped-in (glued at one edge) or printed on the same page? Loose plates devalue a book. | | Paper | Late 20th-century Iranian printings often use acidic paper. Look for Japanese or European paper mentions. | | Colour fidelity | Gold should be matte (shell gold) not metallic foil; blues should be ultramarine or lapis, not cyan. | | Provenance leaf | A previous collector’s tamlik (ownership note) or seal in Persian adds 20-30% to value. | Loose plates devalue a book

Major institutional collections offer deep insights into the codicology and artistry of these manuscripts: