A companion to the 2017 MOA exhibition Traces of Words, this volume features a stunning selection of works representing a diverse array of cultures, eras and media, including Sumerian cuneiform inscriptions, Qur’anic manu­scripts, Chinese calligraphy, graffiti art from Afghanistan, and contemporary artworks using Japanese calligraphy and Tibetan or Thai scripts. Through different materials—from paper to silk, woodblock to projected screen—these works in turn evoke the ephemeral and the eternal.