In late September, the GLOBAL DECO team participated in the “Materiality of Sufi Manuscripts” workshop, hosted by the Cluster of Excellence “Understanding Written Artefacts” and co-organized by Ilse Sturkenboom at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures in Hamburg. This event marked the conclusion of a three-part series within the research network on Sufi manuscript cultures (1200-1800), aimed at fostering interdisciplinary and international collaboration on various aspects of Sufi manuscripts.
A diagram on the pigments used in a manuscripts with decorated paper in Berlin (by Claudia Colini et al.)
The workshop featured a range of presentations covering collections, paintings, and the production of manuscripts in Sufi contexts. A key highlight was a trio of talks focusing on Sufism and decorated paper. Ilse Sturkenboom introduced the project’s groundbreaking database showing that a significant portion of manuscripts on decorated paper pertains to Sufi themes. Following this, Claudia Colini and Valentina Yañez Langner from CSMC shared their cutting-edge material analyses of decorated paper conducted in Berlin. The session concluded with Theresa Zischkin’s compelling reevaluation of the Panj Ganj manuscript (CBL In 20), focusing on its remarkable stencilled margins.
A group picture and a visit to the laboratory of the CSMC
The workshop fostered rich discussion and exchange, with a publication on the proceedings set to be released soon.