Mediaeval Manichaean Book Art : A Codicological Study of Iranian and Turkic Illuminated Book Fragments from 8th-11th Century East Central Asia /
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Mediaeval Manichean Book Art focuses on a corpus of c. one hundred fragments of exquisitely illuminated manuscripts that were produced under the patronage of the Turkic-speaking Uygurs in the Turfan region of East Central Asia between the 8th and 11th centuries CE, and used in service of the local Manichaean church. By applying a codicological approach to the analysis of these sources, this study casts light onto a lost episode of Central Asian art history and religious book culture. Each of the five chapters in this book accomplishes a well-defined goal. The first justifies the formation of the corpus . The second examines its dating on the basis of scientific and historical evidence. Chapter three assesses the artistry of their bookmakers, scribes, and illuminators. The fourth documents the patterns of page layout preserved on the fragments. The final chapter analyses the contextual relationship of their painted and written contents . Mediaeval Manichaean Book Art represents a pioneer study in its subject, research methodology, and illustrations. It extracts codicological and art historical data from torn remains of lavishly decorated Middle-Persian, Sogdian, and Uygur language manuscripts in codex, scroll, and "palm-leaf" formats. Through detailed analyses and carefully argued interpretations aided by precise computer drawings, the author introduces an important group of primary sources for future comparative research in Central Asian art, mediaeval book illumination, and Manichaean studies.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047405962
9789004139947
Būluṣ ibn Rajāʾ : The Fatimid Egyptian Convert Who Shaped Christian Views of Islam /
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Būluṣ ibn Rajāʾ (ca. 955-ca. 1020) was a celebrated writer of Coptic Christianity from Fatimid Egypt. Born to an influential Muslim family in Cairo, Ibn Rajāʾ later converted to Christianity and composed The Truthful Exposer ( Kitāb al-Wāḍiḥ bi-l-Ḥaqq ) outlining his skepticism regarding Islam. His ideas circulated across the Middle East and the Mediterranean in the medieval period, shaping the Christian understanding of the Qurʾan's origins, Muḥammad's life, the practice of Islamic law, and Muslim political history. This book includes a study of Ibn Rajāʾ's life, along with an Arabic edition and English translation of The Truthful Exposer.
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In eleventh-century Egypt, the Christian convert Būluṣ ibn Rajāʾ composed The Truthful Exposercritiquing Islam. This publication includes a study of Ibn Rajāʾ's biography, his impact on Christian approaches to Islam, and an Arabic edition with English translation of his work. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004517400
9789004517394