Lot 369: The Archetypal Shapes of the Arabic Numerals, 1998

The Archetypal Shapes of the Arabic Numerals, 1998
Ten silk screenprints on Aquarelle paper with oil based inks and hand engineered card cut outs in the artist's wooden frame.    258 x 149.5 x 7.5 cm. (101 1/2 x 58 3/4 x 3 in).   Signed, inscribed, numbered of six, and dated 'Special Origination 1998/1419 Ahmed Moustafa' along the lower margin of each print. This work is unique from a series six differently coloured works.

 Fe-Noon Ahmed Moustafa, ed., Discovering the Archetypal Shapes of Arabic Numerals, London, 2001; J. Theophilus, 'Ahmed Moustafa - Repercussions in the Human Soul' in Canvas Magazine, Dubai, Volume 3, Issue 5, Sept/Oct 2007 (illustrated)

 Acquired directly from the artist

“Numbers provide a symbolism of unity and multiplicity in explaining creation, and a classification of hierarchical relationships and essential virtues by means of triadity and triangularity, and so forth. Number as a kind of ‘universal and exemplary plan’ in the mind of God [..] emphasize the transformation which mathematics undergoes in its elevation to the status of divine arithmetic.” (Edward Strong)
 
As both a scholar and an artist, Dr Ahmed Moustafa is able to create works whose technical excellence does justice to their profound subject matter. Fascinated by the scientific revelations of Quranic exegesis, Moustafa follows in the footsteps of the great Muslim polymaths who have for centuries dedicated their lives to the technical extrapolation of Quranic doctrine, revealing complex arithmetical relationships therein which shed light on the nature of divine perfection. Closely verified scientific and mystical treatises, Moustafa’s subject matter lends itself
well to artistic expression, allowing him to synthesize profound insights in a mature visual language.
 
Much of Moustafa’s major work consisted of visual examinations of the 99 Attributes of Divine Perfection (Names of God) as recorded in the Prophetic Hadith. His depiction of these attributes is not in any sense a personal conception, invention, speculation or conjecture but is rather a disclosure, unlocking or unveiling of a sacred knowledge, an objective rational uniting the meaning of the Hadith with a form which explains, expresses and illuminates it. Its impact lies in the fact that its form is perfectly wedded in its meaning.The present work however, represents the culmination of another set of studies (formally laid out in his publication The Geometric Cosmos of Arabic Numerals) and examines the constituent makeup of Arabic digits.The classification of Abjad Numerals assigns alphabetical characters with digital correspondents such a system not only invests words with numeral value, but bridges the gap between literal and numerical forms of communication, a tool which allowed the faithful to form coded languages for both hidden communication and the composition of sacred incantations.
 
Moustafa’s Discovering the Archetypal Shape of Arabic Numerals breaks down Arabic digits into their constituent fundaments, by highlighting the compatibility between the form and substance of each digit, stressing the role of the regular hexagon and its two complementary positions of its diagonal in determining the odd and even numbers and their shapes based on the apparent number of angles in their form. Once again we find that the shape symbolising the number is deeply wedded in its meaning. For instance, nine-ness is represented by a shape containing nine angles, and so forth. Furthermore, by collating the building blocks of Abjad numerals the work demonstrates their inter-relationships. In the diagram below, we see how the number nine has been broken down by Moustafa; In Abjad the Arabic letter (Fig. 1), has the Latin equivalent, and the numerical equivalent 9, all of which have been collated in Moustafa’s depiction (Fig. 2).
 
The above sequence is replicated for other digits also, and demonstrates the versatility of Arabic numerals, whose true significance is brought to light when applied to Quranic values, hence the compatibility between the 28 letter shapes of Arabic as the language of revelation and 28 transcendental mansions of the moon is the most significant factor to shed light on the mystery of revelation.
 
The aspects of divine perfection constantly permeate Moustafa’s art. His geometric compositions and intricate diagrammatic style pay homage to the intellectual complexity of his subject matter, providing a visual commentary on the nature of divinity which is as beautiful as it is profound.
 
Phillips de Pury & Company would like to thank Nima Sagharchi for his contribution to the Middle Eastern and Iranian artists’ essays in this catalogue.