Sini Calligraphy

Sini calligraphy is the most famous artistic fruit of Muslim existence in China. It is an Arabic script that has been used by Chinese Muslims in China in mosque invocations vessel inscriptions or in hanging scrolls decorating their houses. The script’s distinctiveness rises from its hybrid style which presents Arabic writing with Chinese flavor and technique. Although generated in non-Muslim surroundings Sini maintained its existence for hundreds of years among Chinese Muslims. It has developed several variants that have reached us in the form of tombstones like those in Quanzhouinteriors of mosques in eastern China the script’s birthplace or early copies of the Qur’an along with ceramic and bronze vessels.