The History & Impact of Paper in the Islamic World | Jonathon Bloom

The afikra Podcast

Art historian, educator and author Jonathan Bloom joins us on the afikra podcast to talk about paper, print and the Islamic world. He talks us through changing understandings of "Islamic" art and architecture through the decades, explains the premise of his book "Paper Before Print: The History and Impact of Paper in the Islamic World" and whether it's worth using the term "Islamic Art" in the first place. We touch on the fascinating architectural history of the Minaret, the cultural impact of paper, and what it's like to co-write and work alongside his wife Sheila Blair.

Jonathan M Bloom is an art historian, author and educator. He retired in 2018 as the Norma Jean Calderwood University Professor of Islamic and Asian Art at Boston College and in 2019 as the Hamad Bin Khalifa Endowed Chair of Islamic Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, positions that he shared with his wife and co-author Sheila Blair.

Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani

Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

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About afikra | عفكرة: We are a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity. ⚡ Become a member today.