Arabic and Chinese calligraphy are often called the best manifestations of the written art. But at the same time it is not quite right to put them in one row, because both of these traditions have completely different origins and expression. Arabic calligraphy in China is a unique phenomenon: here different styles are harmoniously intertwined in the beautiful works of Hutt masters.
Islam spread in China about 1000 years ago. The country’s Muslims have started using traditional brushes and ink to make copies of the Koran. The oldest manuscript dates back to 1318. It was then that the style of Sino-Arabic calligraphy, known as sini, appeared.
The main difference between Chinese and Arabic calligraphy is in the material. The calligraphers of the Arabian Peninsula in the sixth and seventh centuries dealt with goat skin, bark and fabric. Many works of Arabic calligraphers were distinguished by straight lines and sharp angles due to the roughness and low absorption capacity of the materials. The Hattatts preferred to develop the aesthetic side and complexity of the style. The calligraphic pen, which is called tomar, consisted of 24 donkey hairs. Much attention was paid to how the tip of the pen was cut off; it depended on the preferences of the master himself, national traditions and the type of text applied.
In China, where paper was invented back in 105 AD, calligraphers worked on a rich medium of brush-ink-paper and created masterpieces of amazing beauty. In 751 AD, near the Talas River (the modern region of Kyrgyzstan), the Arab and Chinese armies clashed in a severe battle. The warriors of the Celestial Empire were defeated. Among the prisoners were masters of paper production. From them, the Arabs learned the methods of its production and after several centuries spread this craft in Europe.
Before the beginning of the twentieth century in China, printed books were replaced by artful manuscripts, penmanship was one of the most important skills for madrasah students. Fifty years ago, Shakirds in Hezhou and Gansu did not start training until they made copies of their textbooks. A variety of calligraphy brushes were known in China, but the main tools for writing Islamic texts remained the same as in Iran or Egypt. The same applied to the choice of material: hard parchment remained the main material for copying manuscripts, although various types of thin paper existed in the Middle Kingdom.
The most famous calligrapher of modern China is Haji Nur Din Mi Guangjiang. He was born in 1963 in Shandong Province and has been practicing calligraphy since the age of 18. At first, he received lessons at a local mosque, and then studied the subtleties of art in Egypt for eight years. After that, the master was recognized as a unique specialist in Islamic calligraphy and an expert in the blue style. In 1997, Haji Nur Din became the first Chinese calligrapher to receive an Egyptian Certificate in Arabic Calligraphy and a member of the Egyptian Calligraphers Association. In 2000, he opened Arabic calligraphy courses and lectures at the Islamic College in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. He also participated in the exhibition “Word into Art” at the British Museum, which was named one of the most important expositions of modern Islamic calligraphy.
Source: https://www.islamisemya.com/arabskaya-kalligrafiya-v-kitae-stil-sini.html
