Exhibition - "In the School of Wisdom" (Columbia University, 22 October 2018 - 1 March 2019)

Matthew Gillman Discussion
“In the School of Wisdom: Persian Bookbinding, ca. 1575-1890”
Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University (New York)
Opens October 22, 2018 to March 1, 2019, Chang Octagon Gallery
Curated by Matthew Elliott Gillman
 
About the Exhibition
Prompting viewers through a verse by the mystic poet Bedil, this exhibition considers the often ephemeral nature of bookbinding as an art-form. Early modern artists, although aware that bindings constituted a manuscript’s disposable component, lavished increasing attention on their visual elaboration throughout the period. Presenting 33 examples in lacquer, leather, and textile – a fraction of a collection which has hitherto remained little-known – the show samples the changing face of codices as they circulated in and beyond Iran.
 
About the Collection
Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library holds over eight hundred manuscript items in Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Turkish, including codices, scrolls, and leaves ranging in date from the 9th to early 20th century. Previously available only through incomplete card files, the collection is being newly cataloged as part of the Muslim World Manuscripts Project, inaugurated in 2016. These records, prepared by a team of librarians and graduate students, will ultimately be searchable through CLIO, the library's online catalog. Additionally, a selection of nearly 350 works will be digitized over a three-year period as part of a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
 
Visiting
RBML, located on the sixth floor of Butler Library, is open 9:00am to 4:45pm from Monday to Friday with extended Monday hours until 7:45pm when classes are in session. A detailed schedule is available here. Please note that photo ID is required to enter the building.
 
Opening Reception
In association with the exhibition’s opening, the curator will give a lecture entitled “The Second-Hand Binding,” on Tuesday, October 23, at 6pm in Butler Room 523. Reception to follow.
 
Contact
For more information about the exhibition or collection, contact Jane Siegel, Rare Book Librarian (jane.siegel@columbia.edu).