Category: News

GLOBAL DECO PAPER at the Fourth German South Asia Day in Erfurt Project PI Ilse Sturkenboom and Theresa Zischkin participated in the Fourth German South Asia Day, held this year at the University of Erfurt. After arriving around noon, they began the day with lunch and a short walk through Erfurt’s old town, including a… Continue reading ERFURT, June 2026

New York City, April 2026 Part II: A late 15th-century Timurid-era safina manuscript. Conjugate central bifolia of reflecting, intricate sprayed stenciled designs in Metropolitan Museum of Art, 19971.91 (l–r), folios 16v=17r, 70v=71r, 73v=74r, and 77v=78r. Images courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In this second instalment, Dr. Jake Benson examined a damaged and incomplete,… Continue reading NEW YORK, April 2026, Part II

4MZ Research Day 2026 The annual 4MZ Research Day, organised by the Munich Middle East–Mediterranean–Central Asia Center (4MZ) at LMU Munich, brought together researchers from a wide range of disciplines and career stages, from doctoral candidates to senior professors. The day opened with a welcome session that introduced the programme and highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary exchange… Continue reading MUNICH, June 2026

Codicology Course at El Escorial, Spain Negar recently participated in an intensive five-day codicology course at the Real Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial in Spain. The course covered a wide range of subjects related to manuscript studies, including the physical construction of the codex, manuscript decoration, palaeography, and methods of manuscript description and… Continue reading SPAIN, June 2026

European Papers in Ottoman Manuscript Illumination: Mobility, Adaptation, and Artistic PracticeANAMED Library Community Lectures  At the ANAMED Library, Negar Kazemipourleilabadi presented her research on decorated papers in the Ottoman world and their connections to Europe. The lecture centred on a reference in Mémoires du voiage de Constantinople, where a sheet is described as “Turkish paper”.… Continue reading ISTANBUL, April 2026

Manuscripts, Paper, and Collaboration This April, Negar and Theresa once again travelled together to Paris for an intensive ten-day research stay at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. The trip offered a rich opportunity to engage closely with manuscripts, materials, and colleagues, continuing their shared exploration of decorated paper traditions across cultures. Negar focused her research… Continue reading PARIS, April 2026

In the second week of her research trip to Istanbul, Negar focused particularly on manuscripts from the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum collection housed in the Süleymaniye Library. During this period, she examined a selection of monumental manuscripts that offered valuable insights into the diversity of materials and artistic practices within the Islamic manuscript tradition.… Continue reading ISTANBUL, March 2026, Part II

A Study Trip to Istanbul: Manuscripts, Paper, and Encounters Across Time While Yih-chuen is spending time in China, Negar and Theresa set off from London to Istanbul for a joint study trip devoted to decorated paper, manuscript culture, and material practices across the Islamic world. Day 1: The Sakıp Sabancı Museum Their first day led… Continue reading ISTANBUL, March 2026, Part I

In Early March, Yih-chuen was in Beijing for research. One of the numerous highlights of her visit was a temporary exhibition on the Chinese decorated paper at the Beijing Fine Art Academy Gallery.  The exhibition featured a variety of modern and contemporary objects, including gold ink-painted examples made for the famed 18th-century Qing dynasty Qianlong… Continue reading BEJING, March 2026