Days 13 to 14 - OF Fragmentation and Florescence: Rival Artisitc Centers in the Lands of Islam I-II

Great Mosque of Cordoba

artist unknown, 785-786 CE, stone, marble, brick, mosaics, horseshoe arches

• masterpiece of early Islamic Spain blending Umayyad Syrian and Visigoth traditions

• famous double-tiered red and white arches

• mastics show strong Byzantine influence

• symbol of Umayyad dynastic legitimacy after fleeing Abbasid rule

Qutb (Quwwat ul-Islam) Mosque and Minaret

artist unknown, 1192-1196 CE, sandstone and reused architecture

• earliest major mosque in India after Ghurid conquest

• built using spoliation from Hindu and Jain temples

• Qutb Minar became a poro type for Indo-Islamic minarets

• marks beginning of Delhi Sultanate architectural tradition

Isfahan Congregational Mosque

artist unknown, 1086-1087 CE, brick, stucco, turquoise tile

• one of the earliest and most influential four-iwan designs

• integrates Seljuk brickwork, monumental vaults, and later Safavid tile work

• central to understanding Persian mosque evolution

• shows layering of dentures of Islamic dynastic patronage

Recto Folio from a Quran (by scribe In al-Bawwab)

IBN AL-BAWWAB, 1000-1001, ink and gold on paper

• one of only Qurans signed by the master calligrapher

• exemplifies refined Nash script, replacing earlier Kufic as main Quranic script

• harmonious spacing and delicate ornament show height of Abbasid book arts

Constellation of Andromeda

artist unknown, 1009, ink on paper

• reflects Islamic scholarly preservation of Ptolemaic astronomy

• integrates Greek science with Arabic star-lore and artistic depiction

• illustrated constellation figures aided scientific education across the Islamic world

The Assemblies of Al-Hariri

YAHYA IBN MAHMID AL-WASITI, 1237 CE, ink on paper

• masterpiece of Iraqi figúralo manuscript painting

• illustrations show lively scenes of daily life, storytelling, urban settings

• demonstrates sophistication of Arabic prose literature and painting

• shows early Islamic figúralo art in non-religious contexts

Minbar

artist unknown, 1125-1130 CE, wood inlay and ivory

• functioned as a pulpit for Friday sermons

• highly geometric decoration shows mastery of interlace, star patterns, kufic bands

• represents high point of woodcarving in western Islamic world

Birth of Muhammad

artist unknown, 1315 CE, ink on paper

• depicts the Prophet;s birth within a courtly Persian visual tradition

• often richly colored, featuring angels and symbolic light, often found in Christian works

• reflects narrative emphasis in Persian literature and the rise of prophetic biographies

Parthian King Ardawan Captured by Sassanian King Ardashir, from the Shahnama

artist unknown, 1330-1340 CE, ink on paper

• scene from Firdawsi’s Shahnama (Book of Kings)

• highlights legitimation of the Sassanian dynasty

• illustrations showcase Persian historical epic style: dynamic figures, bright colors, dramatic gestures

Banner of Baha al-Dawla

artist unknown, 1000 CE, silk tapestry

• combines royal inscriptions with animal motifs

• represents Buyid authority and textile luxury trade

• early Islamic military and ceremonial banners often carried Quaranic or royal texts

Cloth with Falcons and Dragons

artist unknown, early 14th century, silk textile

• combines Chinese-inspired dragons with Islamic falconry imagery

• shows silk road exchange between East Asian and Islamic visual cultures

• luxury textiles signified elite courtly identity

Fragment of Konya Carpet

artist unknown, early 14th century, wool knotted carpet

• among earliest surviving Islamic carpets

• shows bold geometric medallions and Kufic borders

• found in mosques; reveals medieval carpet function as sacred furnishing

Animal Carpet

artist unknown, 14th century, wool knotted carpet

• features stylized animals (lions antelopes, birds)

• reflects pastoral/royal hunting motifs

• combines geometric layout with living creatures; rare in later Islamic carpets

Bowl with Kufic Inscription

artist unknown, 10th century, earthenware, slip-painted and lead-based glaze

• represents epigraphic ware: bowls decorated only withh words

• inscriptions often express blessings or moral aphorisms

• celebrates calligraphy as supreme Islamic art form

Bowl with Groom and Giraffe

artist unknown, 11th century, earthenware with silver or copper glaze

• combines figúralo imagery with human and narrative charm

• giraffe indicates long-distance diplomatic/animal trade

• shows secular figúralo art thriving in medieval Islamic ceramics

Conical Bowl (fritware)

artist unknown, late 12th century, fritware

• fritware allowed fine, white, porcelain-like ceramic surfaces

• innovation from the Islamic world responding to Chinese porcelain

• shows technological advances in medieval Islamic pottery

Beaker Narrating the Tale of Iranian Hero Bizhan and Turanian Princess Manizha

artist unknown, late 12th century, fritware with polychrome enamel

• shows narrative scenes from Shahnama on ceramics

• luster ware gives metallic sheen; technical masterpiece

• demonstrates spread of Persian epic storytelling across media

Ewer

artist unknown, 975-996, rock crystal

• reflects refinement of Islamic domestic luxury goods

• believed to have the power to prevent nightmares; the powers of the rock crystal would fuse into the liquid it held

Bobrinsky Bucket

MASUD IBN AMAD & MUHAMMAD IBN AL-WAHID, 1163 CE, bronze with silver, copper, niello

• one of the most celebrated inlaid metalworks of the medieval Islamic world

• features princely activities: hunting, feasting, musicians, rulers

• exquisitely detailed inscriptions and figúralo scenes

• demonstrates technical and aesthetic peak of Seljuk metalwork