Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: THE PEN AND THE BRUSH: THE ARTS OF THE BOOK IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD

Department: Art History

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 3

Description: This course introduces the arts of the book in the Islamic world, from the earliest manifestations to printing. We will analyze Korans, scientific and pseudo-scientific manuscripts, illustrated literary texts, anthologies of poetry, albums, and consider techniques, materials, book formats, and schools of production. For each lecture, Graduate Students will be assigned additional readings. They will write an annotated bibliography of all the readings to be turned in at the end of the semester. We will meet for an additional two or three weeks to discuss the interpretive and methodological problems and ideas associated with the readings. Graduate students will be expected to complete all the requirements of the class in addition to writing a substantial research paper due at the end of the semester.