Islamic Art

- calligraphic inscription in Arabic identifies owner, asks for Allah's blessings, and tells function

- container for expensive aromatics

- gift for caliph's younger son, most likely as a coming-of-age gift

- ivory objects given as gifts to members of royal family at important time in their life

- horror vacui

- vegetal and geometric motifs

- eight medallion scenes showing pleasure activities of royal court: hunting, falconry, sports, musicians

- from Muslim Spain

Pyxis of al-Mughira

- Arabic read right to left

- kufic script: strong uprights and long horizontals

- great clarity of text important bc several readers read book at once, some at a distance

- consonants scripted, vowels indicated by dots or markings around

- Korans compiled and codified in mid-7th century; earliest surviving Koran form 9th century

Folio from the Qur'an

- signed by artist six times

- original use: washing hands at official ceremonies

- later use: baptisms for French royal family (association w/ St. Louis fictional)

- hunting alternate w/ battle scenes along side

- mamluk hunters and Mongol enemies

- bottom and top of bowl: decorated w/ fish, eels, crabs, frogs, crocodiles

Basin (Baptistere de St. Louis)

- huge carpet, one of a matching pair, from the funerary mosque of Shaykh Safial-Din; probably made when shrine was enlarged

- prayer carpet

- medallion in center perhaps represents inside of dome w/ sixteen pendants

- mosque lamps hang from two of pendants; one lamp smaller than other; larger lamp placed further away so it would appear same size

- corner squinches also have pendants completing feeling of looking into a dome

- world's oldest dated carpet

- woven by ten people, probably men; women did weaving this period, but importance of location and size of project indicates men entrusted w/ its execution

- dark blue background covered by leaves and flowers on stems

- cartouche w/ artist's name, date, and three lines of poetry

The Ardabil Carpet

- Iranian manuscript

- large painted surface area; calligraphy diminished

- areas of flat color

- spatial recession indicated by overlapping planes

- atmospheric perspective seen in light bluish background

- ancient Iranian king from Sasanian dynasty

- represents ideal kings; wers crown and golden halo

- karg is a unicorn he fought during this trip to India

- Illustration from the Book of Kings

- wears garment of European fabric

- Chinese landscape conventions seen in background

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg

- Shahnama (Book of Kings): Persian epic poem by Firdawsi telling ancient history of Persia; 259 illustrated pages

- first king, Gayumars, enthroned before community

- left: son Siamak; right: grandson Hushang

- court appears in semicircle below him; court attire: wearing leopard skins

- harmony between man and landscape

- minute details do not overwhelm harmony of scene

- angel Surush tells Gayumars his son will be murdered by the Black Div, son of demon Ahriman

- sense of lightness and airiness reference to paradise

The Court of Gayumars

- said to have been built by Ibrahim and Ishmael for God

- existing structure encases blackstone in eastern corner, only part of original structure by Ibrahim that survives

- cube-like in shape; covered in textiles

- destination for hajj; circumambulate counterclockwise seven times

- rededicated by Muhammad to Allah

The Kaaba

- domed wooden octagon

- influenced by centrally planned buildings

- columns taken from Roman monuments

- sacred rock (Noble Enclosure; Foundation Stone) where Adam was buried (presumably), Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac, Muhammad ascended heaven, Temple of Jerusalem was located

- meant to rival Christian church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, although it was inspired by its domed rotunda

- Mosaic Arabic calligraphy urges Muslims to embrace Allah as one god; indicates Christian notion of Trinity is aspect of polytheism

- oldest surviving Quran verses; first use of Quran verses in architecture

- pilgrimage site for faithful

- erected by Abd al-Malik, caliph of Umayyad Dynasty

Dome of the Rock

- large central rectangular courtyard surrounded by two-story arcade

- each side of courtyard w/ centrally placed iwan; may be first mosque to have this feature

- one iwan is entry for private spaced used by sultan and his retinue; dome adorned by tiles

- qibla iwan largest and most decorative; size indicates direction to Mecca

Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh)

- doubled arched columns, brilliantly articulated in alternating bands of color; voussoirs

- light and airy interior

- horseshoe-shaped arches traditional in Visigothic Spain and Roman architecture

- hypostyle mosque; no central focus, no congregational worship

- original wooden ceiling replaced by vaulting

- complex dome over mihrab w/ elaborate squinches

- columns spolia from ancient Roman structures

- relatively short columns made ceilings low; doubling of arches enhances interior space; perhaps influenced by Roman aqueduct in Merida, Spain

- kufic calligraphy on walls

- built on site of church; after Christian reconquest center of mosque used for church

Great Mosque

- palace of Nasrid sultans of Southern Spain; preserved by Christians to commemorate victory

- light, airy interiors; fortress-like exterior

- built on hill overlooking city of Granada

- contains palaces, gradens, water pools, fountains, courtyards

- small, low bubbling fountains in each room to provide cool temperatures in summer

Alhambra

- thin columns support heavy roofs; feeling of weightlessness

- intricately patterned and sculpted ceilings and walls

- central fountain supported by protective lions; animal imagery permitting in secular monuments

- part of walls chiseled through to create vibrant light patterns within

Court of the Lions

- sixteen windows at top; light dissolves into honeycomb of stalactites that dangle from ceiling (simulate heavens; good acoustics)

- abstract patterns, abstraction of forms

- 5000 muqarnas refract light; carved in stucco onto ceiling

- highly sophisticated and refined interior

- perhaps used as a music room or for receptions

Hall of the Sisters

- extremely thin soaring minarets

- abundant window space makes for brilliantly lit interior

- decorative display of mosaic and tile work

- inspired by Hagia Sophia, but centrally planned

- octagonal interior, w/ 8 pillars resting on square set of walls

- open airy interior contrasts w/ conventional mosques that have partitioned interiors

- part of complex including hospital, school, library, etc.

- Sinan chief court architect for Suleiman the Magnificent

- transitions from square ground plan to round dome achieved by inserting smaller domes into corners

- huge piers support dome

Mosque of Selim II

- "Crown Palace"

- named for Mumtaz Mahal, deceased wife of Shah Jahan; died while giving birth to 14th child

- built to serve as Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, centrally placed under dome; Shah Jahan interred next to her after death

- symmetrical harmony of design

- typical Islamic feature of one large arch flanked by two smaller arches

- square plan w/ chamfered corners

- onion-shaped dome lesson severity

- intricate floral and geometric inlays on facade

- grounds represent vast funerary garden; gardens found in heaven in Islamic tradition

- minarets act like picture frame, directing view and sheltering monument

- once formed part of a larger ensemble of buildings

- may have been built to salute grandeur of Shah Jahan and royal kingdom, as much as to honor wife's memory

- originally named "Illuminated Tomb"

- excerpts of Quran on walls and gateway to garden

Taj Mahal