Zaydaan - A Matter of Time
Zaydaan – A Matter of Time, was commissioned for the inaugural exhibition Inspired from Manuscripts by the School of Calligraphy and Ornamentation (SOCO), in Fujairah, UAE.
The installation presents the research explorations of Dr Sara Choudhrey into the traditional methods by which curvilinear roundels were constructed in the 12th – 15th centuries, particularly in the Maghrebi region of Morocco and Al-Andalus, Spain.
Zaydaan is presented as two roundels, based on analysis of the 16th century Mulay Zaidan Qur’an. One panel focussing on the pattern line-work of the construction process, which is heavily reliant on a geometric layout and the precise placement of measured, nested circles. The second roundel focusses on the colour palette, bringing to life the traces which remain in the original manuscript, which had become faded over its 425 years.
The analysis from the original historical manuscript, which now resides in the El Escorial Library in Spain, to the contemporary interpretation in this work, highlights the unique Maghrebi curvilinear contributions in the field of manuscript illumination. Sara’s research also highlights the links between similar designs and those found across a number of architectural sites including monasteries in Spain to Mosque complexes in Egypt.
This installation artwork not only demystifies the process of creating such elaborate geometric compositions but also provides continuity to its role in Islamic design heritage.
