The Transmutation of Kufic Script in the Mediterranean: Artistic Appropriation and Institutional Identity (10th to 15th Centuries)

Pseudo-Kufic script served as a deliberate ideological tool in medieval Mediterranean art, functioning beyond mere decoration to symbolize sanctity and institutional legitimacy. This study reveals that its transformation across Byzantine, Norman Sicilian, and Italian contexts—spanning the 10th to 15th centuries—was a conscious act of cultural appropriation rather than passive imitation. Through comparative iconographic analysis, epigraphic examination, and stylistic assessment, researchers identified luxury textiles and portable objects as key vectors for Kufic forms entering Christian artistic media. The fluid boundary between authentic inscription and ornamental imitation was strategically exploited by medieval institutions to assert power and identity in multilingual, multi-confessional societies.

Fathi, S. S. (2026). The Transmutation of Kufic Script in the Mediterranean: Artistic Appropriation and Institutional Identity (10th to 15th Centuries). Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 12(3), 215–236. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajms.12-3-3