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In the late 18th and first half of the 19th century, print gained a permanent foothold in the Middle East and enabled the mass production of books in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian. As a consequence, handwriting gradually ceased to be the primary technology for making books. This article, the second of two, examines the materiality of a selection of Arabic manuscripts mostly made between 1870 and 1930 CE. It shows how scribes not only adapted to the availability of new types of pens or stationery when making their manuscripts, but also that some of them adopted layout choices and paracontent typical of printed books. Tradition and change are both visible in the objects that were analysed, and it is especially against the backdrop of a growing print industry in the Middle East that Arabic manuscript culture's strengths and its ability to adapt emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1969, circa 1,000 fragments of the Qur'an were found in the space between two ceiling covers in the Holy Shrine of Imam Riḍā in Mashhad, Iran. Some of these were among the oldest Qur'ans produced in Iran. Three volumes in that cache are the only remaining parts of a fourteen-volume Qur'an, copied in Ramaḍān 327/939, endowed to the Holy Shrine by Kishvād b. Amlās. The volume is in vertical format and was copied on paper. Presently, it is the oldest known dated Qur'an manuscript on paper in the world. The similarities of the script and illumination to some undated and unsigned Qur'ans give us some hints about the Kufic script and illuminations in central Iran. The present article discusses the codicological and paleographical features of this copy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 1,000 years prior to the 'print revolution', a massive media transformation took place in the Middle East, namely, the introduction of paper during the eighth century. Accompanied by several further technological changes, the new writing surface—purportedly brought to Central Asia by Chinese prisoners of war—led to an increasing availability of written sources, an 'explosion of books'. In this paper, I examine the details of this early media transformation, survey how literary and historical sources discussed this development and give insight into the developments it entailed in just a few centuries. The main part of the paper deals with sources from the Mamluk period (1250–1517) that witnessed a thorough literarization of all parts of communal and personal life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MS Tunis, Dār al-kutub al-waṭaniyya, 7116, is the only extant manuscript containing a complete copy of the Isḥāq/Ṯābit version of the Almagest. Paul Kunitzsch has underlined the close similarities between the marginal notes in the Tunis manuscript and those in Gerard of Cremona's Latin translation of the Almagest , so that Kunitzsch has concluded that Gerard of Cremona had a manuscript close to the Tunis manuscript before him during the revision of his translation of the Almagest. A note in MS Tunis, Dār al-kutub al-waṭaniyya, 7116, points out that this manuscript was copied from a model owned by al-Arawšī, a bibliophile living in Valencia famous for the size of his library, a significant part of which was looted by al-Maʾmūn b. Ḏī l-Nūn and sent to Toledo, arguably shortly before Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī wrote his Ṭabaqāt al-umam. Based on MS Tunis, Dār al-kutub al-waṭaniyya, 7116, the present contribution explores the significance of al-Arawšī's looted library as an important link between Umayyad Cordoba and Toledo. It also calls attention to the highly unusual paper of MS Tunis, Dār al-kutub al-waṭaniyya, 7116, made of woven fibers, maybe flax. Résumé: Le manuscrit de Tunis, Dār al-kutub al-waṭaniyya, 7116, est le seul manuscrit existant contenant une copie complète de la version d'Isḥāq/Ṯābit de l' Almageste. Paul Kunitzsch souligna les fortes similitudes entre les notes marginales du manuscrit de Tunis et celles de la traduction latine de l' Almageste par Gérard de Crémone, de sorte qu'il conclut que Gérard de Crémone avait devant lui un manuscrit proche du manuscrit de Tunis lors de la révision de sa traduction de l' Almageste. Une note dans le manuscrit de Tunis, Dār al-kutub al-waṭaniyya, 7116, signale que ce manuscrit a été copié d'après un modèle appartenant à al-Arawšī, un bibliophile vivant à Valence et célèbre pour la taille de sa bibliothèque, dont une importante partie fut pillée par al-Maʾmūn b. Ḏī l-Nūn et envoyée à Tolède, sans doute peu avant que Ṣāʿid al-Andalusī ne rédige ses Ṭabaqāt al-umam. S'appuyant sur le manuscrit de Tunis, Dār al-kutub al-waṭaniyya, 7116, la présente contribution explore l'importance de la bibliothèque pillée d'al-Arawšī comme lien essentiel entre la Cordoue omeyyade et Tolède. Elle porte également une attention particulière au papier très inhabituel du manuscrit de Tunis, Dār al-kutub al-waṭaniyya, 7116, fait de fibres tissées, peut-être du lin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at re-evaluating two of Hungarian artist Dóra Mauer's films, the video work PROPORTIONS (1979) and the 16mm film TIMING (1973/80). Both films follow a rigid structure. In PROPORTIONS, Maurer uses a paper roll to compare her own body measures repeatedly; in TIMING, she repeatedly folds a white linen to compare the rhythm of her arm movements. Through her use of paper and the gesture of folding, the two films can be read as references to the very origin of the term format , as coined in early letterpress printing. When the notion of format is understood as a determination of a ratio and, as such, as an indexical reference to given social relationships (Summers, 2003), these films unfold sociocultural and political meanings. The present paper traces this spectrum of meaning through the pointed inclusion of historical discourses surrounding early motion studies, the art scene in socialist Hungary in the 1970s, and early time experiments before the advent of precision clocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While contrary-to-fact conditions in Homeric narrative have already received considerable attention, those that occur in character speech, which potentially share some of the important and even metapoetic qualities as narrative conditions, have been understudied. This paper begins by offering a new classification of different kinds of counterfactuals that occur in direct speech, incorporating some of the methods of pragmatic linguistics. By building on this classification, it becomes possible to see new resonances in the way that Homeric characters speak and present themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its central location the Chaghadaid ulus played a key role in the interregional diplomatic connections in the Mongol period. Unfortunately, comparing to the other three ulus es of the Mongol Empire we have a very limited number of written sources concerning the Chaghadaid realm. The aim of the present paper is to show how the new results of the philological study of the Old Uyghur and Middle Mongolian documents can throw new light upon our knowledge about the diplomatic practices in the Chaghadaid ulus. The paper concentrates on the two most important institutions which facilitated diplomatic relations: the chancelleries and the postal system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of paper in the Middle East changed literacy practices and improved economic performance, yet current accounts remain unhelpful for understanding why and how it happened. This paper offers a new analysis of the long-term factors behind the adoption of paper in the Middle East, combining insights from economic theory, economic history and evidence from quantitative studies. The paper establishes a long-term trend in the price of writing material and books in the Middle East, and suggests an explanation based on economic factors which led to a decline in the price of inputs in paper production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article emphasizes the more-than-human nature of foreign policy formation and diplomatic practice, as found in an examination of nineteenth-century Parliament Select Committee testimony regarding the intersection of everyday bureaucratic practice and the material context of the British Foreign Office. These records indicate both how the changing world of diplomacy at this time (including new states and communication technologies) materially impacted the Foreign Office, as well as the affective atmosphere experienced by its employees, through an excess of paper. Debates over how the new Foreign Office ought to be built reveal concerns about the circulation of paper, bodies, light and air in a drive for efficiency. These historical materialities speak to our understanding of contemporary changes occurring within the world of diplomacy, including the rise of digital technologies and the new skills needed among diplomats, as well as inform our understanding of the exercise of power within assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Islamic Manuscripts is the property of Brill Academic Publishers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article examines the changes in the media of communication in medieval Russia. Based on quantitative data of surviving manuscripts and administrative documents, it argues that the introduction of paper in the fourteenth century had limited impact on secularization of knowledge and education. In the long run, however, it stimulated rapid production and dissemination of manuscripts and encouraged a new type of literacy that cherished thoughtful reading and reflection on content. Paper was mostly used in North-East territories, whereas in Novgorod parchment remained the dominant writing material up to the end of the fifteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the unique religious beliefs and practices of a prominent church in Zimbabwe, the Johane Marange Apostolic church. The Johane Marange Apostolic Church resists inter- nationally accepted biomedical practices and social-cultural interventions in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The church resists these practices and interventions primarily because of its traditional Biblical interpretation. This paper argues that the church's rejection of biomedicine and its pro- motion of deleterious marriage practices hamper Zimbabwe's fight against AIDS. It advocates for a paradigm shift in the religious beliefs and practices of the Johane Marange Apostolic church including the valuing of girls' and women's education as part of the solution to overcome AIDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Islamic Manuscripts is the property of Brill Academic Publishers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tianjin, China's fifth largest city, suffers from severe environmental problems due to a high prevalence of plastic bag usage. This problem occurs in China's other major cities as well. On June 1, 2008, a law requiring large retail stores in China to charge for bags was enacted in an attempt to curtail plastic bag consumption. As a result, many plastic bag manufacturing plants were closed. However, because of the wide-spread usage of plastic bags, they are still being manufactured and consumed. It is possible that the current plastic bag cost of 0.3 CNY is too low to change customers' consumptive behavior. The purpose of this study is to explore people's attitudes regarding the substitution of plastic bags with bags made from alternative materials, and their willingness to pay for such substitutes. This study used a conjoint choice experiment to measure Tianjin residents' preferences for degradable and non-plastic materials bags. The results show that most people do not like non-degradable plastic bags and would use bags made of other materials if they were sold at a reasonable price. Based on the latent class and socio-demographic segmentation results, there are preference distinctions among age groups. Also, there are niche markets for paper, cloth, and degradable plastic bags where costs are of a lesser concern in consumer decisions. Manufacturers can use this information to more efficiently manufacture appropriate bags for different markets. This will help maximize revenue while continuing to meet demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses a codicological approach to the analysis of the production of the books of hours. Use of paper in making the books of hours; Size and structure of the books of hours; Layout and decoration of the books of hours.

The article discusses use of scarce pages on an editorial that could be used instead for authors' work for periodical.