In the 10th episode of the ART Informant, Isabelle Imbert welcomes Annie Vernay-Nouri, previously curator of Arabic manuscripts in the Bibliotheque nationale de France, and Aida El Khiari, doctoral student in the Sorbonne University, under supervision of Pr Eloise Brac de la Perriere, who unfortunately could not be present. Since 2012, they have been working on a major research project focused on illustrated Arabic copies of Kalila wa Dimna, a literary text born in India which had a huge impact from Asia to Europe. The project just concluded with a book, titled The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna: Fables in the Literature and Arts of the Islamic World. Together, they talked about the book, the definition of Arab painting, physical analysis, and the challenging experience of harmonising bibliographies.
Mentioned in the Episode and Further Links
- Follow the Art Informant on Instagram and Twitter
- Les périples de Kalila et Dimna: Quand les fables voyagent dans la littérature et les arts du monde islamique – Brill, 2022
- Follow Aida El Khiari on Academia
- Blog Kalila wa Dimna (2012-2016)
- Oldest illustrated copy of Kalila wa Dimna, 13th c. (BNF, Arabe 3465)
- Maqamat of al-Hariri, dated 1222-23 (BNF, Arabe 6094)
- Kalila wa Dimna, 18th c. (MET Museum, 1981.373)
- List and links of all Kalila wa Dimna manuscripts in the Bibliotheque nationale de France
- Mir’aj Nama, Herat, 840/ 1436, copied by Herou Melik Bakhshi in Chagatai Turkish (BNF, Supp. turc 190)
- Exhibition “L’Art du livre arabe”, BNF, 2001
- Exhibition “Enluminures en terre d’Islam”, BNF, 2011
- Click here for more episodes of the ART Informant.
Reproductions of Artworks discussed in the Episode (click on the images to see more information)
