Graphic+Communication

This assignment requires an investigation of an ancient manuscript that gives insight to the history of graphic communication and how the principles of design were used in these early works. I explored several of the texts but wanted to comment on one from the British Library web site and is titled "Baybars' magnificent Qur'an"  which depicts the artistic calligraphy used to write the entire text. The specific type of print used and in gold is generally reserved for titles only but this manuscript has the entire text written in this special font. There must have been an enormous conviction to spend the amount of time creating this as would have taken. The book itself is quite lovely with a red cover embellished with gold and the pages within have the gold lettering that has been adorned with blue and red spelling and vowel symbols with medallions marking the end of passages and red outlined letters for new chapters. These colorful features demonstrate the contrast and repetition throughout the book and is continued from the colors scheme of the cover. The alignment and proximity within the pages shows six lines of text per page perfectly lined up and spaced with the opposing page. An amazing feat knowing this was all done by hand many years ago and a work of art as much as a book of prayer and devotion.

Online Gallery. The British Library Board. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2012 from [|http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/quran/accessible/introduction.html#content].

