APAH: Unit 4 - Islamic, Buddhist, & Hindu Art

Kabba

Kabba (culture & location)

Pre-Isalmic/Islamic; Mecca, UAE

Kabba (date & material)

631-632 CE; Granite masonry covered with silk embroidered with gold & silver thread

Kabba (use & facts)

• Isalmic worship

• Mecca = holiest city in Islam, destination of Hajj, circle Kabba 7 times (Tawaf ritual circumambulation)

• symbol of unity of believers in their worshipping of God

• silk has calligraphic verses of the Qur’an on it

• Muslims required to do Hajj at least once

• Muslim “House of God”

• location determines the qibla wall of mosque (Muslims face Mecca when praying)

• said to be built by Ibrahim (Abraham) & Ismael, rededicated by Muhammad

• curtain of black silk called kiswah (replaced annually)

• black stone on eastern side is only part of original structure left

Dome of the Rock

Dome of the Rock (culture & location)

Umayyad Dynasty (Arabic); Jerusalem, Israel

Dome of the Rock (date & material)

691-692 CE; Stone masonry, wooden roof, decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics & gilt aluminum with bronze dome

Dome of the Rock (use & facts)

• unknown purpose

• patron: the Caliph, Abd al-Malik

• mosaics: Byzantine & Sasanian (Persian) crowns w/ in plant motifs, vessels, & winged crowns

• not a mosque

• believed to be rock where Adam was buried, Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac, & where Muhammad ascended to heaven (Night Journey), & location of the Temple of Jerusalem

• iconography includes references to pre-Islamic civilization

• one of the oldest Muslim structures with some of the oldest Qur’an verses

• pilgrims circumambulate inside

Great Mosque at Isfahan

Great Mosque at Isfahan (culture & location)

Isfahan, Iran; Islamic

Great Mosque at Isfahan (date & material)

c. 700 CE (cont. 11th-17th centuries CE); brick, wood, plaster, & ceramic tile

Great Mosque at Isfahan (use & facts)

• Isalmic place of worship

• mosque known for integration into urban community because of many gates & entrances

• umma = Islamic community

• great mosque fits all the men in the city for Friday prayers

• result of history of construction & reconstruction, collection of structures built in different time periods

• interior courtyard bc Muhammad started preaching in his courtyard

• water essential to Islam (ritual ablution/washing)

• Muqarnas = decorative vaulting on the surface of a vault or dome subdivided into niche-like cells (aka stalactite vaulting or honeycomb vaulting)

• muqarnas created a smooth, decorative transition zone

• iwan = rectangular vaulted space in an Islamic building closed on 3 sides & open on the 4th

Great Mosque at Cordoba

Great Mosque at Cordoba (culture & location)

Umayyad Dynasty (Arabic/Islamic); Cordova, Spain

Great Mosque at Cordoba (date & material)

c. 785-786 CE; white stone, red brick, marble

Great Mosque at Cordoba (use & facts)

• Islamic place of worship during Muslim (Moors) rule of Spain

• “La Mezquita”

• patron: Abd al-Rahmen

• 8^th-10^th century

• post-Reconquista church built on top

• columns are spolia from Roman structures in Spain

• Roman pagan church -> Islamic mosque -> Christian church

• double-horseshoe arches for toller roof

• white stone & red brick voussoirs (curved stones in an arch)

• dome over mihrab (niche indicating direction of Mecca) inspired by Byzantine squinches

• Kufic (holy) calligraphy on walls

• Cordova was a hub of intellectual thought (Arabs brought knowledge to Spain)

• mosque expanded in 962 CE, tesserae mosaic added

• squinches support dome over mirab

Pyxis of al-Mugira

Pyxis of al-Mugira (culture & location)

Islamic; Umayyad Dynasty

Pyxis of al-Mugira (date & material)

986 CE; ivory

Pyxis of al-Mugira (use & facts)

• Container for cosmetics, aromatics, or jewelry

• gift for caliphate’s younger son

• calligraphy names the owner & tells its date

• “horror vacui”

• vegetal & geometric motifs surround 8 medallions showing pleasure activities of the court: hunting, falconry, music, sports

• can have people on it bc it is non-religious

• functional piece showing legitimacy of royal power

• royal iconography=scepter & lion

• bestowed as gifts on important occasions

Ahlambra

Ahlambra (culture & location)

Islamic; Granada, Spain

Ahlambra (date & material)

1354-1391 CE; sun-dried brick

Ahlambra (use & facts)

• palace & fortress

• last stronghold of the Muslim empire in Spain

• build above the city of Grenada

• light & airy interior

• palace & fortress

• nicknamed “The Red Palace”

• small bubbling fountains cool the palace in the summer

• surrounded by El Generalife on one side

• use of water & garden = paradise

• Hall of the Two Sisters is named after the 2 slabs of marble/rock in it

• Court of the Lions includes thin columns & stucco roofs with a basin supported on the backs of 12 lions spitting water into 4 streams (4 rivers of paradise) & pavilions for living space

• many rooms including the Court of Myrtles, Hall of Ambassadors, Comares Palace, Generalife’s Garden, Hall of the Two Sisters, & many more

Mosque of Selim II

Mosque of Selim II (culture & location)

Islamic; Edirne, Turkey

Mosque of Selim II (date, material, & creator)

1568-1575 CE; stone mixed with brick; Sinan

Mosque of Selim II (use & facts)

• Islamic place of worship

• octagonal support system created by 8 pillars embedded in a square shell of walls

• 4 semidomes at corners

• Sinan was the architect for Ottoman emperor Suleyman the Magnificant

• thin, high minarets

• dome with windows = brightly lit interior

• small domes in the corner transition the square base to round dome

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal (culture & location)

Islamic; Agra, India

Taj Mahal (date & material)

1632-1648 CE; stone, marble, & semi-precious stone

Taj Mahal (use & facts)

• tomb/mausoleum

• garden surrounding it represents garden of paradise where the dome is reflected in its pool

• built by Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth to her 14^th child (maybe to show his power?)

• Jahan & Mumtaz buried next to each other

• walls inlaid with calligraphy & floral arabesques made with coral, garnet, lapis, carnelian, & turquoise

• onion dome reflects shifting light

• gardens in geometric arrangements in 4 or its multiples (4 is holiest number in Islam)

• trees are either Cyprus (signifying death) or fruit trees (signifying life)

• Jali screens for privacy around royal cenotaphs (empty tombs

Folio of Qur’an

Folio of Qur’an (culture)

Islamic

Folio of Qur’an (date & material)

before 911 CE; ink color & gold on parchment (vellum) written in Arabic

Folio of Qur’an (use & facts)

• illuminated manuscript, sign of wealth

• folio = page

• read right to left

• chapter title (sura) in gold & elaborately decorated

• black text & red pronunciation marks

• expensive materials show importance & power of book

• luxury shows importance of patron

• Qur’an = recitation

• Arabic vowels not written usually (are here for pronunciation)

• large format due to sharing of the book

• single pages taken out to sell

Basin (Baptistere St. Louis)

Basin (Baptistere St. Louis) (culture & creator)

Egyptian or Syrian'; Mohammed ibn al-Zain

Basin (Baptistere St. Louis) (date & material)

1320-1340 CE; brass inlaid with gold & silver

Basin (Baptistere St. Louis) (use & facts)

• Banqueting vessel for wealthy Mamluk; ended up in France & used for 17^th century baptisms of French royal children

• Mamluks (ethnic Turks) were a group of warrior slaves who took control of several Muslim states & established a ruling dynasty in Egypt & Syrian from 1250-1517 (Ottoman Conquest)

• ex of an object produced for one ceremonial context but used for another

• originally banqueting vessel for wealthy Mamluk, ended up in France & used for 17^th century baptisms of French royal children

• flower motif later became fleur-de-lis

• friezes of horsemen, procession of dignitaries, & coat-of-arms; floor covered with interconnecting sea animals

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg from the Great Mongol Shahnameh

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg from the Great Mongol Shahnameh (culture & location)

Mongol; Iran

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg from the Great Mongol Shahnameh (date & material)

c. 1330-1340 CE; ink, colors, gold, & silver on paper (folio)

Bahram Gur Fights the Karg from the Great Mongol Shahnameh (use & facts)

• Illustrated folk tales, symbolizing just rule triumphing over chaos & disorder

• depicts brave deeds of a Persian king who singlehandedly defeated the monstrous Karg (horned wolf)

• artists fulfilled their patron’s strong desire to identify with the noble, virtuous, & powerful warrior-kings of ancient Persia

• depicted Bahram V (nickname Bahram Gur bc “gur” = swift/fast); known for warfare, chivalry, & romance

• only 57 folios from the Great Mongol Shahnameh survived

Ardabil Carpet

Ardabil Carpet (culture)

Islamic/Persian

Ardabil Carpet (date & material)

1539-1540 CE; silk on wool

Ardabil Carpet (use & facts)

• prayer carpet

• one of a matched set

• originally at funerary mosque of Shayik Safial-Din

• massive size, made be men

• center medallion seems to represent dome & corners are squinches, flanked by mosque lamps

• all natural dyes (pomegranate rind & indigo)

• wool holds dye better than silk

• more knot /sq in increases detail & value (this one has 340/sq in)

• high knot count allowed for inclusion of intricate design & pattern

• 10 people could work on it at once

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings (culture & creator)

Persian; Bichtir

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings (date & material)

1615-1618 CE; opaque watercolor, gold, & ink on paper

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings (use & facts)

• Depiction of royal power favoring the spiritual (holy man) over the worldly (other kings)

• Jahangir faces four bearded men of varying ethnicity standing in a receiving line format on blue carpet with arabesque flower designs & fanciful beast motifs

• from “St. Petersburg Album”

• almost on par with the Emperor is the Sufi Shaikh (Jahangir only deals with the holy man)

• second in importance the Ottoman Sultan in gold-embroidered green & turban

• third figure is King James I of England in European attire

• final man is artist himself

• includes flames radiating from emperor’s head, sun & moon (harmony)

• emperor is elevated & largest = most powerful

• hourglass & cupids are European

The Court of Gayumars from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp I

The Court of Gayumars from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp I (culture & location)

Iran; Persian/Savavid

The Court of Gayumars from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp I (date, material, & creator)

c. 1522 CE; opaque watercolor, ink gold, silver on paper (folio); Sultan Muhammad

The Court of Gayumars from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp I (use & facts)

• Illuminated page from epic poem describing the history of kingship in Persia (present-day Iran)

• Shahnameh (Persian book of kings) composed by poet Firdawsi c. 1000 CE & incorporates older oral stories on the history of Persia

• Gayumars was the first King of Persia; ruled when people exclusively wore leopard pelts

• parallels between content of painting & calligraphic text

• stylistic similarities between the swirling blue-gray floating clouds & trees to Chinese art

• Persian artists (especially Safavids) used Chinese sources in visual motifs & techniques

• Safavids & Mongols intermixed, leading to people depicted with Asian figures

Great Stupa

Great Stupa (culture & location)

Buddhist/Indian; Sanchi, India

Great Stupa (date & material)

3rd century BCE to 1st centory CE; stone masonry & sandstone

Great Stupa (use & facts)

• Buddhist place of worship

• stupa = place to venerate Buddhist saints

• solid mount with believed to be saint’s (Budda’s) remains inside

• pilgrims circumambulate around the mound

• Torana = gate at 4 cardinal points

• yakshi – female fertility figures in Hindu, Buddhist, & Jain faiths (wide hipped & voluptuous)

• chatras= symbols of royalty & protection seen on top of the yakshi (axis mundi-axis connecting to world) & apex of stupa

Baymayan Buddhas

Baymayan Buddhas (culture & location)

Buddhist; Bamayan, Afghanistan

Baymayan Buddhas (date & materials)

4th century CE; sandstone (live rock)

Baymayan Buddhas (use & facts)

• Buddhist holy site along the Silk Road

• Bayaman was at the Western end of the Silk Road

• originally covered with pigment & gold

• destroyed by the Taliban in 2001

• show both Hellenistic influence dating back to Alexander the Great & Indian Buddhist influence (prevailing until Arab Muslim conquest – 9^th century)

Jowo Rinpoche

Jowo Rinpoche (culture & location)

Buddhist; Jokang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet

Jowo Rinpoche (date, material, & creator)

641 CE; Vikwakarma; gilt metal with semiprecious stones & paint

Jowo Rinpoche (use & facts)

• jowo = Lord

• temple founded in 647 CE by 1^st ruler of unified Tibet

• part of statue found in trash (after Chinese Cultural Revolution & occupation of Tibet) & part was in a home China

• not sculpted from life portrait of Buddha

• image holds cultural & religious importance bc it depicts a young Buddha

• veneration done by dressing the sculpture or feeding it

• believed to be direct lineage to the Buddha & most accurate portrait of the Buddha Shakyamuni

• rinpoche = precious one

• seated in lotus position

• left hand in mudra (hand gesture) of meditation & right hand in gesture of “calling the earth to witness” = together signifies Enlightenment

• shown in thin monk’s robe, but dressed in jeweled crown

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur Temple (culture & location)

Buddhist; Java, Indonesia

Borobudur Temple (date & material)

c. 750-852 CE; volcanic stone masonry

Borobudur Temple (use & facts)

• includes relief sculpture showing Queen Maya on her way to give birth to Buddha

• built in 9^th century & rediscovered by Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles in 1815

• buried by volcanic ash & jungle for 100 years

• consists of 9 stacked platforms, 6 square & 3 circular, & a central dome

• decorated with 2600+ relief carvings

• each platform is topped with Budda statues, each seated within a stupa

• world’s largest Buddhis temple

• combines symbolic forms of stupa (Buddhist), mountain temple (Hindu), & the mandala (Buddhist, square + circle = heaven)

• pilgrims begin at base of mountain & ascend to the top before circumambulating

• holds larges & most complete collection of Buddhist reliefs in the world

Shiva Nataraja

Shiva Nataraja (culture & location)

Hindu; India

Shiva Nataraja (date & material)

11th century CE; bronze

Shiva Nataraja (use & facts)

• Hindu symbol of the Indian concept of never-ending time cycle & combination of Shiva’s images carried in procession & prayed to

• Shiva is Hindu god

• meant to be epicene (having characteristics of both sexes)

• surrounded by nimbus (halo/could)

• dances on the dwarf of ignorance

• hair flowing = water of Ganges

• four hands show four different mudras

• drum provides music for dance & beating universe into existence

• Nataraja = Lord of the Dance

• VERY SYMBOLIC

• can be dressed/decorated for procession

• when devotee prays in front of statue, Shiva is present

Lakshmana Temple

Lakshmana Temple (culture & location)

Hindu; Khajuraho, India

Lakshmana Temple (date & material)

930-950 CE; brick & carved stone

Lakshmana Temple (use & facts)

• Hindu place of worship

• Hindu temple architecture reflects its beliefs, Purusa (sacred space/residence of a God), small rooms for priests & individual worshippers, garba griha

• garba griha – sacred state kept in small interior room “the Womb of the World”

• worshipers here circumambulate the temple outside (encountering Ganesh), then the mithuna, then enter the hypostyle hall & garba griha

• sculpture of female nudity

• panchayatana puja – act of worship (puja) of five deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya, & Ganesha; temple with 5 shrines/mountains

• lion in front that blesses or challenges warrior

Mithuna from Lakshmana Temple

Mithuna from Lakshmana Temple (culture & location)

Hindu; Khajuraho, India

Mithuna from Lakshmana Temple (date & material)

930-950 CE; brick & carved stone

Mithuna from Lakshmana Temple (use & facts)

• worshiped for blessings of fertility

• female nudity not sinful, but a symbol of fertility & spirituality

• end of overt sexuality when colonized by British

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat (culture & location)

Hindu; Angkor, Cambodia

Angkor Wat (date & material)

c. 800-1500 CE; stone masonry & sandstone

Angkor Wat (use & facts)

• Hindu, then Buddhist temple; built to legitimize rule of Khmer king

• largest religious monument in the world, covers 400+ acres

• name translates to “temple city”

• Buddhist temple complex in north Cambodia, originally Hindu temple built in 12^th century by Emperor Suryavarman II

• originally dedicated to Vishnu, legitimized Suryavarman II’s rule

• Khmer tradition = each king must construct mountain temple to express power & legitimize their rule

• became Buddhist temple by end of 12^th century

• no longer an active temple, never abandoned but gradually fell into disuse

• “rediscovered” in 1840s by French explorer Henri Mouhot

• temple design represents Mount Meru (home of gods in Hindu & Buddhist faiths)

• created using water engineering system

• has a moat & 15ft high wall, sandstone causeway main access point

Churning of the Ocean of Milk

Churning of the Ocean of Milk (culture & location)

Hindu, Angkor, Cambodia

Churning of the Ocean of Milk (date & material)

c. 800-1500 CE; stone masonry & sandstone

Churning of the Ocean of Milk (ues & facts)

• relief found in Angkor Wat

• shows Hindu creation story

• elixir of immortality (amrita) lost in cosmic sea, retrieving it has cooperation between gods (devas) & demons (asuras) where serpent Vasuki is churning stick rotating around Mount Mandara which sinks & must be supported by giant turtle (incarnation of Vishnu); tug of war goes on for thousands of years until elixir found & released