ARTH 3180 - Islamic Arts of the Books

This course serves as an introduction to Islamic arts of the book: from the earliest Qur’ans to the lavish narratives of the Timurids and manuscripts of the early modern Safavids, Ottomans, and Mughals. Although the course is organized roughly according to chronology, we will pay particular attention to questions about materials and facture, reading and performance, copying and originality, the relationship between text and image, and the exchange of knowledge. In-person lectures and discussions of readings (including primary sources in translation) will be supplemented with visits to Marriott Library Special Collections.