Islamic manuscripts in the context of "Illuminated manuscripts"

An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers and liturgical books such as psalters and courtly literature, the practice continued into secular texts from the 13th century onward and typically include proclamations, enrolled bills, laws, charters, inventories, and deeds.

The earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts are a small number from late antiquity, and date from between 400 and 600 CE. Examples include the Vergilius Romanus, Vergilius Vaticanus, and the Rossano Gospels. The majority of extant manuscripts are from the Middle Ages, although many survive from the Renaissance. While Islamic manuscripts can also be called illuminated and use essentially the same techniques, comparable Far Eastern and Mesoamerican works are described as painted.

The arts of the Abbasid Caliphate included fabrication of ceramics, textiles, glassware, and decorated manuscripts. Ceramics became one of the most important art forms and the invention of lustreware in this industry was a major innovation that influenced ceramic art throughout the region. This technique likely originated in glassware, which also became a more significant industry. Another major art form was calligraphy, with variations of Kufic being the main early style of script, along with the production of Qur'an manuscripts. An important textile industry existed, notably in the production of inscribed tiraz pieces. While metalwork of gold and silver has rarely survived, some silver dishes from Iran show derivations from Sasanian types, while bronze and copper alloy pieces of different types have also been found. Painting and stucco were important forms of decoration in Abbasid architecture.