Writing Signs
The Fatimid Public Text
Irene A. Bierman(Author)
University of California Press
1st Edition
Published on 16. December 1998
Book
Hardback
247 pages
978-0-520-20801-8 (ISBN)
Description
The author explores the complex relationship between alphabet and language as well as the ways the two elements are socially defined by time and place. She focuses her exploration on the Eastern Mediterranean in the 6th-12th centuries, particularly Cairo's Fatimid dynasty of 969-1171. Examining the inscriptions on Fatimid architecture and textiles, Bierman offers insight into all elements of that society, from religion to the economy, and the enormous changes the dynasty underwent during that period. Bierman addresses fundamental issues of what buildings mean, how inscriptions affect that meaning, and the role of written messages and the ceremonies into which they are incorporated in service of propagandist goals. Her method and conclusions provide a model for studying public writing in other societies and offer evidence to show that writing is a highly charged and deeply embedded social practice.
More details
Edition
First Edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Berkerley
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
36 b-w photographs, 21 line illustrations, 5 maps
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
499 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-520-20801-8 (9780520208018)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Irene A. Bierman is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Director of the University's Gustav E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern Studies.