TEHRAN – Folios of centuries-old Iranian manuscripts and calligraphies along with tens of others from several Asian countries have been put on show in a museum dedicated to printing and books in Madrid.

Titled “Lines from the Orient: Images, Objects and Calligraphies from Asia ( Trazos de Oriente: imágenes, objetos y caligrafías de Asia)”, the exhibition shows the different works from Iran, China, Korea, Japan, Burma, India, Nepal, Tibet, Arabia, Turkey, and the Maghreb.

The showcased scripts and calligraphic works bear different languages of Persian, Sanskrit, Urdu, Pali, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Arabic, and Turkish mainly on wood, palm leaf, rice paper, and bamboo paper, according to organizers.

Through the five sections that make up the exhibit, a journey is made through the world of calligraphy and images, including palm leaf prayer books and Mughal miniatures.

The exhibition runs from July 22 to October 15 at a museum named “La Imprenta Municipal-Artes del Libro”, which is dedicated to the graphic arts.

Opened in 2011, the museum covers an area of 3,500 square meters spread over three floors. Its main mission is to conserve and disseminate the cultural heritage of the graphic arts and their printing and binding techniques. It is home to over 3,000 items, including a printing press from the 17th Century, a rolling press from 1789, and a Planeta typographic machine from 1930.

In addition to a permanent exhibition entitled Printing and the Book: a history, La Imprenta Municipal organizes temporary exhibitions related to books and the graphic world, along with workshops and other activities open to the public.

As well as its dissemination and education work, it provides binding services, documentary restoration, and an edition of publications for Madrid’s City Council.

AFM