Artistic Signature's Aesthetic Consistency and Differentiation in Arabic Calligraphy

Abstract

The artistic signature of calligraphers has been regarded as a significant aspect of Arabic calligraphy since its inception. As the art form evolved and acquired an aesthetic dimension, the artistic signature became an integral part of this dimension. The calligrapher failed to include his name on the frames, a practice that has become customary among calligraphers nowadays. This tradition allowed to trace the evolution of Arabic calligraphy and identify certain gaps in the calligraphy composition. Additionally, the inclusion of calligrapher's name contributes to the achievement of visual balance within the calligraphy composition, signifying consistency or formal separation. The current study concentrated to investigate the aesthetics of artistic signature in Arabic calligraphy, comprising of four parts. These parts include the research problem, its significance, objectives, area, and the definition of key terminologies. The current study analyzed a total of 25 samples, out of which 5 were selected for further analysis. The researchers appointed a descriptive approach to examine the sample models thereafter, the implementation of artistic signatures varied across the models, with the utilization of calligraphy,(Al-Ijaza, Kufi, Ta'liq, Diwāni, and Raq’a). Alterations in the structure and measurement of certain signature letters facilitated the creation of shorthand, which reduced the spaces within the signature structure and achieved formal closure. Additionally, the placement of signatures was distributed among different locations.