Title
Qalam, or reed pen, made from bamboo, ca. 2020.
Goose-quill pen hand cut by Dennis Ruud, ca. 2018.
Goose-quill pen hand cut by Dennis Ruud, ca. 2018.
Description
In the ancient world, reed pens were developed to write on papyrus before being used later to write on parchment. Pens made from the quills of bird feathers were used at a somewhat later period, perhaps in the 7th century CE. Quill pens were the most frequently used writing implement in the West until the early 19th century. Although quills are no longer routinely used for writing (except in penmanship exercises, such as those taught at RBS), reed pens remain the traditional tool used for Arabic calligraphy.
Source
From the collection of Rare Book School