Reports by Umrat Khan
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Conferences by Umrat Khan
London Arts-Based Research Center , 2024
Fingernail callgraphy (khatt-i-nakhuni) is a minimalistic form of writing without pen and ink. In... more Fingernail callgraphy (khatt-i-nakhuni) is a minimalistic form of writing without pen and ink. Instead, khatt-i-nakhuni is created with paper and a fingernail, particularly the thumb, which is placed on either side of a white sheet of paper to imprint an outline of words. This genre of calligraphic art dates back to the Safavid period in the 17th-18th centuries, however, was at its peak during the 19th century under the patronage of Nasir al-Din Shah (d. 1831 – 1896) of Qajar, Iran. While fingernail artists experimented with diverse themes, ranging from depictions of Iranian monarchs to illustrations inspired by images found in European art or magazines, this project will focus on artworks featuring devotional poetry and Qur’ānic verses.
Although existing survey studies provide important contextual and historical analyses of fingernail artworks (Gruber 2021, Mihan 2020), a dedicated study of their devotional quality and how it is a trace (‘athār) of the calligrapher’s piety (taḳwā) is missing. I explore how the embossed works reflect the calligrapher’s desire to attain closer proximity to God. By displacing the pen, the body is transformed into a living implement to write the Qur’ān, considered by Muslims to be the literal words of God. In doing so, fingernail artists not only situate themselves in devotional practices linked to the production and reading/interaction of manuscripts but also devotional practices of the body across Islamic lands. To investigate this, I conduct a contextual analysis of khatt-i-nakhuni by exploring a wide range of materials including original translations of Persian articles on calligraphy and mysticism in Qajar Iran, translations of poetry used in the album of khatt-i-nakhuni album at New York Public Library, calligraphic manuals, Persian literature, and Qur’ānic and hadīth literature. I do this in hopes of unveiling the intricate layers of meaning on these seemingly blank sheets of paper and placing fingernail calligraphers within the repertoire of religious Islamic Art, where their representation is otherwise lacking.
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Tyler School of Art & Architecture, Temple University
How can a “calligraphic image” render emotion and elicit metaphorical exploration? This project e... more How can a “calligraphic image” render emotion and elicit metaphorical exploration? This project explores this question by studying two folios of the Kitab-i-Nauras (Book of Nine/New Emotional Essences), a songbook in Dakhni Urdu, written by the Sultan of Bijapur, Ibrahim Adil Shah II (1580-1627) and calligraphed by Khalilullah Butshikan. I investigate how the calligraphic image is a metaphorical performance, entangled with the painted page and recitation of the verses. These performances constitute an affective potential in rendering bhāva (moods) such as awe, admiration, and bewilderment, and eliciting particular feelings about the sultan being a rasika (connoisseur) and jagat-guru (universal teacher). The study relies upon Nazir Ahmed's (1956) translations of the poems and draws from courtly productions such as the Ibrahimnama, as well as secondary literature on the Adil Shahī libraries, manuscripts, and literary culture.
Previous studies of these folios have explored its transcultural references to Hinduism and Islam and historicized it with respect to other artworks and texts from the court (Ahmed 1956, Haider 2011). However, the symbolic possibilities of the calligraphic image have not been pursued. By studying the materialization of the calligraphic image in the Kitab-i-Nauras, I aim to show that the calligraphic line is not passive, but renders meaning through the experience of adhbuta rasa(wonder) and bhāva. Moreover, I seek to establish that calligraphers were involved in conceptualizing moods in late 16th to early 17th century Deccan much like painters, poets, and musicians.
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RAIS Journal for Social Sciences , Jul 19, 2021
This paper summarizes findings from a report, written by the authors, titled the Professional Dev... more This paper summarizes findings from a report, written by the authors, titled the Professional Development of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Balochistan. The data shows a change in knowledge, skills, and attitude of 300 early childhood educators' on inducting a play-based teaching and learning approach in their classrooms. The sample consisted of urban and rural educators working with children aged 4 to 7 years in public sector schools, in the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. A mixed-methods research approach was employed. A quantitative pre-test was conducted to assess the knowledge, skills, and attitude towards a play-based approach in the early years prior to a 40-hour training. The training used a "Theory to Practice Approach" and made the educators play and practice activities that children would do and then reflect on how they felt and what they learned. This method was believed to be effective as the educators were able to experience what they lea...
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NYU Special Collections Blog by Umrat Khan
The Back Table - Archives and Special Collections at New York University, 2024
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The Back Table, 2023
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Organized Talks by Umrat Khan
Interdisciplinary Encounters , 2024
In our second installment of Interdisciplinary Encounters at XE, NYU students and faculty are jo... more In our second installment of Interdisciplinary Encounters at XE, NYU students and faculty are joined by Professor Touissant Nothias to explore the intersection of journalism, digital technologies, and postcolonial studies. Professor Nothias's career as a scholar embodies the spirit of interdisciplinary inquiry by engaging with a range of topics namely contemporary media, digital networks, postcolonial/decolonial theories, global communication, and critical tech studies. Before joining NYU in Fall 2023, he served as the Research Director of Stanford University’s Digital Civil Society Lab, a Senior Research Scholar in the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS), and a Faculty Affiliate of the Center for African Studies. In this discussion, we will reflect on the challenges of interdisciplinary research, as well as the myriad ways in which research navigates between collective legacies and individual innovation.
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Interdisciplinary Encounters, 2023
Professor Ismail Fajrie Alatas from the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Department at NYU join... more Professor Ismail Fajrie Alatas from the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Department at NYU joins XE faculty and students to explore interdisciplinary methodologies and practices. Trained as both an anthropologist and historian, Professor Alatas' research interests include: religious authority, social formation, mobility, semiotics, and communicative practices. His recent book, What is Religious Authority: Cultivating Islamic Communities in Indonesia (Princeton UP, 2021), explores instantiations of Islam in relation to politics, space, religion, and authority. XE faculty Sonia Werner and XE students Daniel Alfonso and Umrat Khan will moderate a conversation with Professor Alatas on crossing disciplinary boundaries, the status of specialization in academia today, as well as the possible futures of interdisciplinary research.
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Reports by Umrat Khan
Conferences by Umrat Khan
Although existing survey studies provide important contextual and historical analyses of fingernail artworks (Gruber 2021, Mihan 2020), a dedicated study of their devotional quality and how it is a trace (‘athār) of the calligrapher’s piety (taḳwā) is missing. I explore how the embossed works reflect the calligrapher’s desire to attain closer proximity to God. By displacing the pen, the body is transformed into a living implement to write the Qur’ān, considered by Muslims to be the literal words of God. In doing so, fingernail artists not only situate themselves in devotional practices linked to the production and reading/interaction of manuscripts but also devotional practices of the body across Islamic lands. To investigate this, I conduct a contextual analysis of khatt-i-nakhuni by exploring a wide range of materials including original translations of Persian articles on calligraphy and mysticism in Qajar Iran, translations of poetry used in the album of khatt-i-nakhuni album at New York Public Library, calligraphic manuals, Persian literature, and Qur’ānic and hadīth literature. I do this in hopes of unveiling the intricate layers of meaning on these seemingly blank sheets of paper and placing fingernail calligraphers within the repertoire of religious Islamic Art, where their representation is otherwise lacking.
Previous studies of these folios have explored its transcultural references to Hinduism and Islam and historicized it with respect to other artworks and texts from the court (Ahmed 1956, Haider 2011). However, the symbolic possibilities of the calligraphic image have not been pursued. By studying the materialization of the calligraphic image in the Kitab-i-Nauras, I aim to show that the calligraphic line is not passive, but renders meaning through the experience of adhbuta rasa(wonder) and bhāva. Moreover, I seek to establish that calligraphers were involved in conceptualizing moods in late 16th to early 17th century Deccan much like painters, poets, and musicians.
NYU Special Collections Blog by Umrat Khan
Organized Talks by Umrat Khan
Although existing survey studies provide important contextual and historical analyses of fingernail artworks (Gruber 2021, Mihan 2020), a dedicated study of their devotional quality and how it is a trace (‘athār) of the calligrapher’s piety (taḳwā) is missing. I explore how the embossed works reflect the calligrapher’s desire to attain closer proximity to God. By displacing the pen, the body is transformed into a living implement to write the Qur’ān, considered by Muslims to be the literal words of God. In doing so, fingernail artists not only situate themselves in devotional practices linked to the production and reading/interaction of manuscripts but also devotional practices of the body across Islamic lands. To investigate this, I conduct a contextual analysis of khatt-i-nakhuni by exploring a wide range of materials including original translations of Persian articles on calligraphy and mysticism in Qajar Iran, translations of poetry used in the album of khatt-i-nakhuni album at New York Public Library, calligraphic manuals, Persian literature, and Qur’ānic and hadīth literature. I do this in hopes of unveiling the intricate layers of meaning on these seemingly blank sheets of paper and placing fingernail calligraphers within the repertoire of religious Islamic Art, where their representation is otherwise lacking.
Previous studies of these folios have explored its transcultural references to Hinduism and Islam and historicized it with respect to other artworks and texts from the court (Ahmed 1956, Haider 2011). However, the symbolic possibilities of the calligraphic image have not been pursued. By studying the materialization of the calligraphic image in the Kitab-i-Nauras, I aim to show that the calligraphic line is not passive, but renders meaning through the experience of adhbuta rasa(wonder) and bhāva. Moreover, I seek to establish that calligraphers were involved in conceptualizing moods in late 16th to early 17th century Deccan much like painters, poets, and musicians.