Size: 11 x 14 inches
Reference: Bifolium from a Qur'an Manuscript (15th Century)
Media: Parchment
Nib: Leonadrt Mitchell #3 and #1
Ink: Oak Gall ink from Ian the Green
This project was a collaboration with Hals Omr for our Queen's Champion tournament. They did all the illumination and I made the calligraphy.
We decided to go with a non european style as we wanted to do something different and after looking through many manuscripts we decided to take inspiration from a 15th century Qur'an currently residing in the MET museum. The scroll was made in a piece of deer parchment that Hals provided.
While the original manuscript was written in Arabic, I decided to use a western hand for the scroll for two reasons: I do not Arabic to be able to translate the text properly and given that I did not know who would be the scroll would be given to, I did not know that they would me able to read it even if I managed to get it translated. For me a scroll is something that the recipient should enjoy and that is diminished if they cannot read it.
I chose a uncial hand because its rounded and long shapes hinted to the same overall look of the Arabic script.